Purple Steam
by E.C. Spence
Summary: Zuko's turning 21 and celebrating his third year as Fire Lord. In honor of the occasion, he decides to host a special bending tourney. When strange accidents start occuring, the competition heats up, as do things between Zuko and Katara. Zutara and Taang
1. The Embarassing Side Effects of Sexual T

A/N: We're back! It's Conterra-san (author of an Understanding to Salvage Honor and other works) as well as BlackVelvetBand (author of What Happens in Kyoshi). This story is published under our joint account which we created specifically for the posting of this Humanities brainchild (it's where all our great works are born because we never pay attention). As promised, this little baby (that we're incredibly proud of) is all out Zutara with some nice Taang. Hopefully we've created a story that's face-paced and interesting, but it's up to you to review and tell us what you think! The first few chapters should update quickly, they're all written and in the latter stages of editing. We're also in the process of writing the latest chapter. So, as they say in Disney World, "Please keep all hands and arms inside of the car, refrain from flash photography (though any artwork that this story produces would be welcomed with open arms) and enjoy the ride!"

**DISCLAIMER FOR THE DURATION OF THE FANFIC: We don't own Avatar, because if we did the third season would have premiered on time, Zutara and Taang would be cannon and Suki would be in the cartoon hospital recovering nicely and not in limbo between life and death. Oh, yeah and Azula would have a very painful death in store! Authors grin evilly at each other while contemplating the possibilities**

**Purple Steam**

**By Conterra-san and BlackVelvetBand**

**Chapter One: The Embarrassing Side-Effects of Sexual Tension**

_Hello. My name is Katara, daughter of Hakoda and sister of one Sokka, who has been styling himself Chief Ambassador of the Southern Water Tribe._

_I am not at all happy. Today isn't a good day._

_Why can't everyone just leave me alone! I don't want to talk about it. _

_No, I don't like Zuko. End of story._

_No, I **refuse** to like the firebending jock of the year and no, I'm not afraid to admit that he's an arrogant, cocky-ass jerk. I can't stand it when absolutely everyone decides to arbitrarily put us together. I won't give in. I won't, I won't, I won't…._

_Okay, maybe just this once. _

_Fine. _

_This is killing me. I suppose I need to tell someone. It'll probably make me feel better…yeah, that's it._

Katara meandered through the Fire Palace grounds, her head bent in thought, her footsteps slow and seeming to go nowhere. She had begun walking over an hour ago in order to clear her head on a suggestion from the sagacious Uncle Iroh but so far his theory hadn't been successful. However, seeing as it had been Iroh's comment that had troubled her in the first place, Katara was wondering if it was at all wise that she was following the old man's advice…

Katara looked up when her vision was suddenly flooded with sunlight. Emerging from the shadowed, half-exposed corridors of the elaborate and incredibly confusing building, Katara found herself in what looked to be a fairly secluded garden in the middle of a small courtyard. Shielding her eyes from the sun, she was able to make out the silhouette of a petite woman standing in the middle of the courtyard.

The young woman was breathing deeply, her eyes closed, the palms of both hands pressed down in front of her. Katara heaved a deep sigh of relief. It was only Toph, not some pompous Fire-Nation noble who would yell at her for being somewhere she shouldn't be. In fact, Katara wasn't at all sure where in the palace they were, but she was still incredibly glad to have finally found someone to talk to.

"Can I help you, Sweetness?" Toph asked in between deep breaths. "If you're just going to stand there, you might as well come and meditate with me." Startled, Katara shuffled forward to stand next to Toph, unsure how to broach the subject she needed help with.

"Oh, um…sure," Katara mumbled, coming to a stop next to Toph. "What are we meditating on?" Katara inquired halfheartedly. Toph breathed out deeply.

"Well, I don't know how waterbenders meditate, but for earthbenders meditation is a way to get in touch with the earth. Think **rock-like**." She said with an air of wisdom that reminded Katara strongly of Iroh. Thinking of the elderly man brought her thoughts veering back to her dilemma with a screeching crash.

"Rock-like," Katara repeated, not truly feeling in the meditative mood. She knew that part of the reason she was such a strong bender was the fact that she had come to learn and borrow from the other bending styles over the years. Normally, she would have thrown herself exuberantly into learning earthbending technique, but her mind was too preoccupied with a certain Fire Lord. Her heart skipped a beat. Beside her, Toph huffed in annoyance, her sightless eyes snapping open.

"Alright, what's bothering you?" Toph demanded. "You're making it incredibly hard to concentrate with your heart fluttering every few seconds like that."

Katara ducked her head and stared down at her twiddling fingers. "Um, Toph, can I talk to you?" Toph snorted.

"It looks like we were talking already," she quipped, reaching up to retwist her hair into its accustomed sturdy bun. Katara's fiddling intensified.

"Well, it's sort of…um, about girl stuff." She murmured so softly that if her blind friend had not had such a sensitive sense of hearing, it would have been lost beneath the relentless chirping of the birds and the splashing of the turtleducks in the glittering pond behind them. Toph's actions paused.

"Well, I don't know how much good I'll be, but if you can't spill to your best friend, who can you turn to?" Toph stamped her foot, bending a large boulder out of the ground for a makeshift bench before plopping herself on it in a most unladylike posture. "Have a seat," she said, gesturing next to her. Katara climbed up beside her friend and began to braid and re-braid her hair out of nervous habit.

"It has to do with…" Katara began but couldn't bring herself to finish the statement, too afraid of what her friend might think of her.

She was spared the embarrassment when Toph blew some hair off of her face and said unexpectedly, "Does this have anything to do with the royal pain in the ass?" Katara blanched and turned her wide eyes to look at Toph.

"_How did you know_?" Toph snorted and began bending small pebbles and flicking them absentmindedly off of the boulder.

"It's not that difficult to figure out, seeing as your heartbeat starts speeding up whenever you're near the guy. I mean," Toph continued lazily, "It used to just skip a beat whenever he was mentioned, but it's only gotten worse since we arrived for the competition."

_Damn_, Katara swore to herself, _stupid competition_.

Toph was right and Katara knew it. Ever since Zuko and his uncle had joined their small band and helped them bring about the end of the war, as well as the inevitable downfall of Fire Lord Ozai, Katara had been developing certain _feelings_ for him. In the years after the war, it had only intensified as the young Fire Lord, unable to ascend the throne until he was eighteen, left control of the nation to Iroh (who had been installed as regent) and accompanied the "gAang" on their peacekeeping travels. Zuko had claimed that it was necessary that he learn to understand peoples of all nations in order to make better decisions as a ruler. It was then that Katara had come to believe that Zuko would grow to become an incredible Fire Lord. She had been right.

Now, Zuko was not only about to turn twenty-one but was celebrating the third year anniversary of his ascension to the throne. In honor of the occasion, he had decided to throw a grand bending tournament designed to promote peace between the four nations. All competitors were required to fight in teams with a bender of another element than their own. The prospect had created quite a stir and benders everywhere were making plans to travel to the Fire Nation in the next few weeks. Zuko had sent letters to his friends, inviting them to arrive early in order to help Iroh oversee the planning of the spectacle. With only two weeks left until the start of the competition, rumors were flying around about whether the Fire Lord would be competing in his own tournament, and who his lucky teammate would be.

Katara was broken out of her reverie by one of Toph's hands waving energetically in front of her face. "Earth to Katara," she mocked. "Have you been listening to me? I just asked you a question!" Katara blinked a few times rapidly and pushed Toph's waving hand out of her face.

"No, sorry," she admitted sheepishly. "What did you ask?"

"I asked you what brought on this sudden _angst_ over Princess Zuko." Toph flopped back on the boulder, resting her head on her intertwined hands. Katara scooted farther back on the rock and pulled her knees into her chest.

"I went out with Iroh this afternoon, in order to check out the progress the construction team is making on the tournament arena. We were talking about the tournament, and we passed a couple of workmen discussing who Zuko would pick to partner him. One of the workmen commented that he should team up with _me_," she sighed in frustration.

"Iroh picked right up on it, saying how great an idea it was. He even went so far as to say we looked _cute _together when we were sparing the other day. He said he 'doubted that anyone could get passed us if we focused our frustrations on one target.'" Katara turned to face Toph, her nose scrunched in annoyance. "I mean _what frustrations_? I'm not frustrated about anything!" Toph rolled her sea-foam eyes.

"Katara, don't tell me that _I _have to be responsible for teaching you the facts of life?" She sighed and hopped down from the rock, trotting a few paces away.

"This," she called in a very professorial tone, "is a diagram of the male brain." She stomped her foot on the ground and a rather large, crude, earthen model of a certain part of the male anatomy erupted at her feet.

"Toph," Katara stuttered, "That's **not** the brain that's a p―"

"I know _quite well_ what it is Katara," Toph interjected. "It is not truly the male brain, but it might as well be, seeing as it is what all men primarily think with," she continued haughtily. "Now, when a man is attracted to a certain woman due to hormones which find their birth in this region, it results in what is known as **_sexual tension_**. When the male is unable to _act_ on this attraction and carry out the primal urges dictated by this organ, it results in a phenomenon known as **_sexual frustration_**."

Toph ignored Katara's incoherent, spluttering protests. "The same is true for a woman, except with another part of the anatomy." Toph went to stomp her foot again, no doubt to produce another model but was stopped by Katara, who had finally overcome her shock long enough to find her voice.

"**Toph**!" she said loudly. "I had this lecture before; I _really_ don't need to see the models." She arched an eyebrow as a thought struck her. "Hey, how do you even know what one of those looks like anyway?" Toph rolled her eyes once more and flopped on the boulder again.

"The only way a blind girl is going find out how one looks― feel it." Katara's eyes widened and her spluttering returned in full force.

"_You mean you felt_―" Toph smacked her head; this was not where she had intended the conversation to go.

"It was a model Katara." Katara's mouth rounded into a small 'o.'

She scratched her head and she looked hesitantly at her friend once more. "So, what was the point of the lecture?"

"_The point_," Toph stated, clearly annoyed. "Was to illustrate that Iroh was hinting at the rather unhealthy amount of sexual tension which abounds between you and his incredibly annoying nephew." Katara opened her mouth to protest but couldn't find the words.

"Is it that obvious?" she questioned quietly, beginning to play with her hair once more. Toph nudged her slightly.

"Yeah," she admitted. "Well, to everyone but you two. And Sokka of course," she added as an afterthought. Katara groaned and leaned her head on her smaller friend's shoulder.

"_What am I going to do_?" Katara groaned. "I mean, it's not like it would work between us. We're both too stubborn. I spend more time arguing with him than anything else." She pointedly ignored Toph's cough of 'TENSION.'

"Even if he did feel the same, which I'm sure he _doesn't_, wouldn't it be dangerous? I mean there are plenty of Fire Nation nobles who would sell their souls in order to have their daughter be the object of their monarch's affections and they wouldn't be too pleased if he were dating a lowly water tribe peasant." She paused as a horrible thought struck her. "What if they tried to assassinate me," she gasped breathlessly. "What if they try to assassinate _him_!" Katara was just about to jump of the boulder and begin pacing when she was restrained by Toph's strong hand on her shoulder.

"_Sweetness,_" she said slowly as if she were trying to calm a rampaging moose-lion. "You're making this so much more complicated then it needs to be. And you're not some lowly water tribe peasant. You're the daughter of the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe. In other nations, that's the equivalent of a princess." Toph squeezed her shoulder affectionately and Katara let out a deep, shuddering breath.

"What do suggest I do then?" Katara asked, leaning forward to rest her head in the palms of her hands. Toph grinned.

"Jump him," she said plainly. "Then let the rest settle as it will." Now it was Katara's turn to roll her eyes.

"_Thanks_, Toph," she said sarcastically. "Remind me why I asked you for your help anyway?" Toph laughed and hopped off of the boulder, Katara following suit.

"I told you I would probably be bad at girly stuff." She made a slicing motion with her arm, causing the boulder to be consumed by the earth once more. "Come on," she said as the palace clock struck seven. "Dinner's soon, it's another one of those court things." She made a face. "That means we have to dress up _again_." Toph let out a defeated moan, unable to see Katara's face light up at the prospect.

"We don't have that much time!" she cried, pulling insistently on Toph's arm, making to exit the courtyard until she realized that she had no idea where they were. "Um, you wouldn't happen to know where we are, do you?" she inquired releasing her grip on Toph's arm.

"Course I do," Toph answered. "We're in the Fire Lord's private garden." She grabbed Katara's arm and turned her towards the opposite end of the garden. "We want to head _that_ way." She began to lead Katara in the direction of their rooms, passing the spot where Toph and Katara had been sitting, the rather large 'model' still standing in all its earthen glory.

"Aren't you going to bend that back down?" Katara asked as she trotted behind Toph, her braid swishing. Toph cackled evilly.

"No, I think I'll leave it there as a nice present for Zuko, in return for making me dress up two days this week." Katara's couldn't help but giggle as she followed the still laughing Toph out of the garden and back into the darkened corridors.

Katara and Toph were some of the last people to arrive for dinner. As Zuko's honored guests, they were expected to sit at the high table along with the Fire Lord and his uncle. When Katara swept into the hall, Toph following behind her, she was relieved to see that Zuko was not present. Iroh looked up from his conversation with Aang as the two young women made their way over to the table.

"Ah, Master Katara and Miss Bei Fong, don't you look stunning tonight," he complimented. Katara blushed at the old man's flattery, though Toph merely fixed him with an annoyed expression.

"How many times do I have to tell you Uncle Iroh," she asked, using the informal title she always did when speaking to him. "My name is _Toph_ not Miss Bei Fong. Miss Bei Fong makes me sound stuck up and old." She faked a shudder and Iroh chuckled as some of the women at the nearby tables gasped at her rejection of courtly titles.

"Very well, Toph," Iroh said genially. "Will you do me the honor of sitting next to me tonight? I hear they have a new type of imported tea on the menu I wish you to try with me." Toph shook her head and sat down in the seat he had pulled out for her, leaving Katara to sit in her usual seat on the left of Zuko's.

Not long after Katara had sat down and began to answer Iroh's questions about whether or not she had ever had the opportunity to try the brand of tea featured that night, the doors banged open once more; Zuko striding in clad in full Fire Lord regalia. He sat down stiffly in the chair one of the servants had pulled out for him. He glared over the gathered assembly of nobles.

"I apologize for the delay," he said woodenly. "I was dealing with a rather pressing trade agreement." He automatically reached for his fork and took a bite of the entrée a waiter had placed in front of him, signaling the start of the meal. Once he was satisfied that all of the nobles were sufficiently occupied with gossiping behind each other's backs, as wells as stuffing their faces with food that was rather too elaborate for his taste, the young Fire Lord sighed heavily and reached for his cup of wine. The entire table stopped in mid sentence to watch as Zuko drowned the wine in one gulp, quickly refilling his glass.

"Fire Lord Zuko," Iroh asked, concerned. "Are you alright? You seem very tense." Zuko rolled his neck to the side, stretching it, before picking up his fork once more and digging enthusiastically into his dinner. When he had swallowed a sufficient amount of food, Zuko felt he was finally able to answer his uncle's question.

"I'm fine Uncle, now that I'm out of that meeting," he assured. "Honestly," he turned to Katara, eyeing her over the rim of his glass. She flushed under his gaze.

"I don't know how you deal with your brother. Four _hours _and he couldn't come to an agreement with the Earth Kingdom representative on the best way to rework the trade routes."

Sokka took that moment to burst in the hall, practically running toward the table. He vaulted in the vacant chair next to Aang, who was seated across from Iroh on Katara's left. Sokka piled his plate as high as he possibly could with food, ignoring Zuko's disgusted stare as he paused in his own eating to watch the spectacle. Shaking his head, he turned toward Katara when she asked, "Why are you reworking the trade routes?"

Thirty minutes later, Zuko's simple explanation of the trade problem, coupled with Katara's innocent suggestions for improvements had resulted in a very public, full scale argument. Even the nobles at the farthest table had stopped their conversations in order to watch the show, their eyes volleying back and forth between the two as if they were watching an Agni Kai instead of a verbal sparring match.

"I don't see why you can't just get it through that thick skull of yours that we **cannot** open that island for trade, as I explained numerous times to your brother!" Zuko practically roared at Katara, slamming his fork down on his plate with a clatter.

"**My** thick head!" Katara screeched, her palms cracking as they made contact with the polished wood of the table. "**I'm** not the one who refuses to open up an **entire island** for increased contact between the nations, **contact that would foster peace**, because the island is used as the **Fire Lord's summer retreat**!"

"_How did you find that out_?" Zuko hissed menacingly, his eyes narrowing dangerously at Katara. She didn't even flinch.

"I read the report on your desk," she returned testily. Zuko's eyes widened and his placed his palms flat on the table, rising out of his chair so he was leaning threateningly over Katara.

"**_Why _were you in_ my _study**?" He roared, the candles on the table flaring violently. Katara rolled her eyes and stood up looking quite dangerous herself, despite the fact that she barely cleared the Fire Lord's chin.

"**Don't look at me as if I'm some sort of spy for the Water Tribe**!" she yelled furiously, poking him in the chest. Forgetting himself, Zuko grasped her upper arms, holding her fast.

"The idea had never occurred to me but **thank you for suggesting it**!" he snarled, his grip tightening uncomfortably. "You still have not given an adequate explanation as to **why you were in my study**!" Katara winced under his grip.

"If you _must _know, I went to your study to bring _you _some lunch. You had been in conference all morning and I figured that you would be hungry when the meeting let out!"

It was true. Katara had made her way to the study around noon, bearing a tray of food she had fetched from the kitchen herself. She had entered the study unquestioned by the guards, who recognized her as the Fire Lord's trusted friend and were not about to question her presence. She had placed the food on his desk and turned to leave when the proposal had caught her eye. She began to read it, intrigued by the idiocy of the politicians. That was where Iroh had found her, almost an hour later, lounging in Zuko's oversized leather chair, her feet propped on his desk. Embarrassed, she had agreed to accompany the old man to the construction site, lacking anything more entertaining to do.

Tears began to well up at the injustice of it all. Here she was being publicly humiliated just because she had been trying to be nice to him.

"**You arrogant _jerk_**" She yelled, pounding a fist into his chest as hard as she could with each word she spoke. "_This_ is what I get for trying to be _nice_ to you? **Mortification**!" she screeched. "_All_ I was trying to do was _be thoughtful_, **because that's what friends do**!"

Zuko let her go abruptly, and she shoved her way past him. Unable to prevent the tears from showing in her voice, Katara quietly mumbled, "My apologies Fire Lord, I suddenly am feeling quite ill," before executing the perfunctory curtsey and racing out of the hall.

With a strangled cry of fury, Zuko wrenched his gaze from the door Katara had just exited, ground out the required apology before completing his own dramatic exit. The hall began to buzz excitedly.

Next to Toph, Iroh sighed quietly. "Ah, to be young and in love!" Aang gave the man a quizzical look.

"Uncle Iroh?" he asked hesitantly. "Are you _sure _you didn't spike your tea again?"

"_Come on_, Katara," Toph wheedled exasperatedly as she paced the length of the waterbender's suite. "You're accomplishing nothing by just sitting here and moping!" Toph felt along the dresser for Katara's water flasks and tossed them over to her friend. "Come on, you'll feel much better after you've bended away some your anger with me and Twinkle Toes." Katara looked dejectedly at the flasks and figured Toph was probably right.

"_Fine,_" she said sullenly, slinging the flasks over her shoulder. "Let's go."

Katara sighed as they trudged their way through the high grass on the outside of the Fire Palace wall. Toph was determined to find the perfect place to practice and Aang, who was scouting ahead on his glider had called down a few moments ago to alert them to the presence of a flat area with a rather large lake about a hundred yards ahead. Clapping her hands in delight, Toph had ordered the troops to, "move out" and Aang had landed gracefully next to her, deciding to make the trek with his friends on the ground than alone in the air. He and Toph were currently carrying on an energetic conversation revolving around who would be the primary candidate to win the annual Earth Rumble competition. Katara, wallowing in her residual anger towards Zuko, her embarrassment, as well as a touch of fear that she had ruined any chance she ever had at catching the firebender's attention, followed quietly behind. She wouldn't have noticed that they had even emerged from the field if it hadn't been for Toph crowing in triumph.

Knowing that bending would undoubtedly release some of Katara's pent up anger, Toph attempted to tantalize her friend with a match. "Come on Katara," she said, cracking her knuckles in front of her and stretching down to touch her toes. "You gotta help me prepare for the competition; I haven't practiced since we got here." Toph stood up straight once more, frowning when she didn't feel the vibrations that would have indicated Katara stretching like she normally would have.

"Toph," Katara began pointedly, "You do know that you have to compete in a _team _during the tournament." Toph grinned triumphantly, knowing that she was wearing Katara's resolve down.

"Okay, me and Twinkle Toes with take you." Toph grinned and turned to Aang. "Now you can't earthbend, so use one of the other four elements." Aang nodded then remembered Toph couldn't see him.

"Sure," he shrugged noncommittally. "What'd do you say, Katara?" he turned his large gray eyes on her. Katara crossed her arms.

"Me, up against the two of you? Don't you think that's a little unfair?" Katara complained, completely oblivious to Aang's eyes widening as he caught sight of something over her shoulder. Toph opened her mouth to warn Katara of the approaching presence but it was too late.

Katara stiffened when she felt a strong arm drape lazily around her shoulders. Katara gazed up to see a smirking Zuko, his auriferous eyes gleaming at the prospect of a challenge, his one eyebrow raised in an arrogant arc. His smirk widened as he appraised the blind earthbender and the hesitant Avatar.

"I think I'll even the odds."

A/N: Sings Loudly If you want Chapter two then you know what to do!


	2. We Picked Three

A/N: HEAR YE. HEAR YE. Harken to the tale of Conterra, wind mage, and Cryssi, Elven sniper!

Ok, anyway. . .after some extensive debating over the title and a bunch of editing ( sure we're done. . .) we decided to deliver you from torment. Humanities isn't getting much better excitement-wise, so expect us to keep right on going! However, we have run into some minor technical difficulties. . .

Conterra: Zuko is a SEXY BEAST.

(five minutes later) Cryssi: Zuko is a SEXY BEAST.

Conterra: Zuko is a SEXY BEAST.

Cryssi: Stop thinking like me!

Conterra: Stop copying me! I said it first!

Cryssi: STUFF IT.

Conterra: -Zuko smirk-

Cryssi: -Wields an imaginary water whip and smacks smirk of face-

Conterra: -blocks water whip with air shield-

Heh. Umm, hopefully we will resolve our differences. . .

ON TO THE STORY.

**Chapter 2**

**Ten Ways NOT to Apologize **

**or **

**Beauty Through the Racial Prejudices of the Beholder**

**or **

**"Brushing Up" on Sparring**

_Way to go, Zuko, you made her cry._

_Well, _why_ does she have to be so infuriating!_

_She was only trying to be nice to you, and what do you do? You make fools out of both of you. ..in front of the _entire_ Court._

_How is this **my **fault! Every time she's around I just want to. . ._

_What? Kiss her, hold her, haul her off to your bedroom and have your way with her?_

_Shut up!_

_Oh that's mature. You should go make it up to her._

_Are you suggesting that I apologize?! I'm the Fire Lord, I don't have to apologize to anyone!_

_Did I say that? I said you should make it up to her. Go on, find her, buy her something, _do_ something so you don't feel guilty any more, and so you can stop talking to yourself like this, it's demeaning. _

_Fine, I'll go find her, but only because it's the honorable thing to do._

_Sure, Zuko, you just keeping telling yourself that. . .it's not as if you like being near her, or anything. . ._

_For the last time, SHUT UP!_

Zuko's heart was slowly pounding its way out of his chest. At least, that's what he thought. While it had seemed pretty slick to come up behind Katara like this a moment before, he was seriously doubting his spur-of-the-moment decision now. Although he seemed confident enough and had come out here to "make it up to her," he knew deep down that a good portion of his bravado was all show. Katara was one mystery that still made him seethe. As soon as he thought he had her figured out, she would do something completely unexpected and he would have to rethink his opinion on her. Like that argument at dinner the day before. He knew she had a temper, but in public? What in Agni's name was she doing? How could she. . .!

Zuko mentally told himself to stop simmering. He would never willingly apologize to Katara—she was a _waterbender_, blessed Agni—but he could "make it up to her." He was positive she wouldn't be able to resist his challenge, and she couldn't stay angry with him _too_ long. After all, this had been partially her fault. Alright, not really.

He suddenly became aware of the apprehensive silence around the four of them and Katara's tense shoulder muscles under his arm. Spirits, why had he been so casual? This would probably make her even angrier. Although he couldn't help but notice how perfectly she fit into the crook of his arm. . ._Ugh! Stop it, Zuko_, he snarled to himself.

"Get off me," Katara snapped with a _very_ delayed reaction. But she made no move to pull away.

He gave her a squeeze. "What was that? Fight with me? What a coincidence! I will gladly face off with you against Rock-head and Aang here."

"Watch who your calling Rock-head, Flame-face!" Toph shouted.

Zuko carefully slid his arm off of Katara's shoulders, still not quite sure of what had possessed him to do that. Any thoughts of that nature were strictly forbidden when directed toward the waterbender. "So, what do you say, peasant?"

Her eyes narrowed dangerously, making Zuko smirk. "_Don't_ call me that," she snarled. "And, no, I'd rather you didn't spar with us. What are you doing out here, anyway?"

"Looking for you," he returned stonily. How was he going to get rid of the hard feelings from the night before? "Your outburst was unappreciated." Damn, that wasn't quite what he had meant to say. . .

"Excuse me?" she flared. "MY outburst? How about yours?"

" You don't need to scold me. It's not like I need you to help me. I look after myself," he retorted hotly.

"You look after yourself?" she scoffed. Zuko felt the sudden urge to strangle her. "Is that why you can't eat and get your work done without others' help?"

"I can do both of those things perfectly well! You are the one is perpetually annoying others with your random acts of over-the-top care!"

"_Over-the-top care_!" she screeched. "I'm only trying to be a friend! Obviously, you don't know the meaning of the word!"

Zuko snorted steam and crossed his arms over his chest. This wasn't going too well. They were both too stubborn. "I don't have friends, I have acquaintances."

"You _do_ have friends, but you sure act like you don't!"

"Maybe I _don't_ know what 'acting like a friend' means!" he yelled. "Does it look like I had the chance to learn while I was growing up?"

"Maybe, if you would stop being so rude and stubborn, you _could_ learn!"

"How am I supposed to learn _that_?!"

"You could start by saying 'thank you,'" she said softly, her anger fading. "But I know you. Your inflated pride won't even allow you that."

"Exactly how well do you _know_ him?" Toph butted in interestedly.

The two turned to stare at Toph. "What?" asked Katara confusedly.

"I didn't know you _knew_ him like _that_," she murmured thoughtfully. "That's very interesting. Who would've thought Sweetness was up to that? He must be pretty― how shall I say this― _long and strong_."

Zuko nearly groaned. Leave it to Toph to make a dirty comment when he was in the middle of a disagreement. With _her,_ nonetheless. He gave her a sideways look, and smirked when he saw her face slowly coloring. "Yeah, how about that Katara?" he said playfully.

She turned away. "Oh shut up. Let's just get this over with." She strode forward determinedly.

Zuko pondered her reaction a minute and then brushed up against her as she took up her stance. "Thank you," he said softly, breathing on her neck. _Whoa_. What had possessed him to do that?

She went rigid, and then relaxed. "Well done," she said sarcastically. She turned, and he could see her cerulean eyes softening. "Let's do this thing."

"Guys," Toph called as she squared off. "I know it must have been great last night, but _please_, talk about it somewhere else."

"Toph," hissed Aang.

"What?" Toph huffed.

He groaned. "Leave them alone."

She grinned maliciously. "I haven't even started yet. This is just too good to pass up."

The firebender and the waterbender positioned themselves, refusing to look at each other. Zuko couldn't help but wonder how they were going to work as a team in this state. Sure, he had made her feel better, but he knew she was just like a firework, ready to explode. One more snide remark from him, which wasn't that far from coming, and she would go off again.

"You're going to crash and burn, Flame-face!" Toph yelled.

"I'm going to bury you up to your neck in the dirt you're so found of, Rock-head," he retorted.

Katara ignored the two friends and yelled to Aang, "Which element are you using?"

His staid, angular face broke into a grin. "I want to use water."

"Seriously? You can't beat me yet! I'm still your waterbending master!"

"I'll give it a shot!"

"Alright," she said doubtfully. "Pay attention!"

"Always," he grinned as he bended a large ball of water out of the lake. Zuko glanced at him, feeling somewhat jealous, but he wasn't sure what about. He watched Katara carefully bend out a substantial amount of water. He was so absorbed in his partner's movements that a chunk of rock nearly hit him.

"Pay attention, pretty boy!" Toph yelled. "I just set up boundaries."

And indeed she had. Zuko marveled at how Toph could create such a disturbance with only a few slight movements. With chagrin, he noticed she had included a portion of the lake in their pseudo-arena. That could seriously hinder his movements. "What's that for!" he yelled, pointing at the lake.

Toph smirked. "I thought I've give Twinkle Toes and Sweetness an actual chance."

Zuko matched her smirk with his own as fire flared, red hot at his fists. "Ready?" he asked Katara. He noticed she was standing only a few feet away. This wasn't going to work. They couldn't work as an actual team. Oh well, it was worth a shot.

"Whenever you are," she nodded, a fire blazing in her eyes that caused Zuko to rapidly suck in air before he shook his head to clear the feeling away. What was wrong with him? He had never had problems with concentration before. . .

The battle started abruptly when Toph caused a column of earth to erupt, dividing Zuko and Katara. Zuko quickly spun and kicked out, sending flames at the petite earthbender, his focus solely on his opponent now. As he blocked a few of her boulders, he shot one fist out to burn away the earthen barrier between him and Katara. He could hear her laugh as Aang suddenly pushed a wave in her direction. Fire met water as the barrier collapsed between their combined efforts, bursting into steam.

"Hey!" Katara yelled. Almost as an afterthought, they both sent their combined elements, carrying a bit of dirt, back at Aang and Toph.

Zuko suddenly found himself fighting Aang and relaxed. They were better matched. Aang's style was more familiar to him, and he could employ his full potential. Throwing himself at the water-wielding Avatar, he quickly let out a succession of kicks and blows coupled with flame. It was harder for Aang to fight him using water. He had to fight more than evade. He still moved fluidly, avoiding the majority of Zuko's attacks, but he had to form ice and waves to keep the Fire Lord at bay.

Zuko abruptly found his mind drifting as he and Katara joined to fight both at once. Horrified, he yanked his wits back to where they belonged, banishing thoughts of a certain drenched and curvy waterbender. Katara blasted a pinnacle of rock away from his side, and he was suddenly showered with debris. "Watch it!" he yelled.

"You watch it!" she retorted as a deflected stream of water glanced off her shoulder. Zuko delivered a spinning kick, which landed him right in the way of Katara. He brushed by her on purpose, avoiding Toph's latest eruptions, and sending streams of fire at Aang.

"What was that for?" she snapped, nearly forgetting to shield herself from Aang's sudden whip-like water tentacles.

"What was what for?" he asked innocently, springing to burn away one of Toph's spinning boulders.

"That was close, Fire-boy!" she yelled, causing the earth to buckle with a slight shift in her weight.

He ignored her, his attention now focused on the heaving woman in front of him. "Stop getting in my way! Is that all your good for?" Katara fumed.

Toph motioned for Aang to stop. "Hold it right there, Twinkle Toes. This one has some promise."

Aang sighed. "Could you just leave them alone, Toph? You only make them angrier with the snide comments."

Toph shot an exasperated look in his direction. "Do I have to explain sexual tension to you too?"

"Uh, no thanks!" Aang said hurriedly, his eyes scanned the area quickly, searching for a reason to avoid the upcoming fight, he grinned when he spotted something hopping in the distance. "Hey look! Some wild rabiroos! They look like fun!" He airbended himself out of the impromptu arena and looked expectantly at Toph. "Aren't you coming?"

Toph threw a regretful look over her shoulder. "I guess," she sighed, and she bended a section of the wall down so she could go feel the rabiroos Aang wanted to show her. She bended the wall back up, and they left, unnoticed by the Fire Lord and Master Waterbender.

"Excuse me? Is that all that _I'm_ good for?" roared Zuko, genuine anger beginning to stir as he viewed Katara with a hint of admiration. She was ridiculously strong willed. She could probably cow a whole battalion into obedience with that mouth if she tried. A corner of his mind wondered idly how she would taste before his anger and repulsion forced that thought down. "You're the one who goes butting into others' business!"

"At least I have feelings, Zuko!"

"I have feelings! I care for my country, for my Uncle, for those I consider friends, like Toph. . ."

"Toph's the only person who's your friend!?"

"NO! She's just one of my friends. I have others! Aang's sort of my friend, Haikru's my friend. . ."

"So some sniveling Fire Nation noble who used to serve your father is your friend, but I, who helped you overthrow him, isn't worthy of friendship?" she lashed out with a water whip, which he managed to block with a stream of fire.

"I didn't say you weren't my friend!" He spun and kicked, causing a ring to form around them.

"Am I not good enough for you?" she cried, throwing sudden ice daggers at him.

He easily blocked them, and they exchanged a few more blows. "I never said that, it's just that you're so damn stubborn! And every time I see you we manage to fight over _something_!"

"You're just as stubborn as I am," she panted, forming ice to fasten his legs to the ground while he kept her busy with a whip of fire. "I wouldn't be fighting if you weren't so rude!"

He freed himself, and narrowed the distance between them, knowing he had the advantage in close quarters. She was already tired, having not slept much the night before, and her concentration wasn't what it usually was. He circled her, delighting in her sporadic attacks and ingenious maneuvers.

"How am I rude?" he questioned. "You're the one who told me I don't know what friendship is."

"Well that's certainly true isn't it?" She doused a ring he had encircled her with and started throwing disks at him, which he either blocked, or dodged. "I haven't received an apology, I barely got a 'thank you,' and you don't even consider me a friend, when I've done _everything_ within my power to make things better between us!"

Agni, she was alluring when angry. Zuko shook himself roughly as he carefully crafted a blade of fire to match her ice sword, she wasn't his type. She wasn't even beautiful― ok, maybe she was. But that wasn't the point!

"I _don't_ apologize," he growled as he bore down on her. He could see angry panic in her eyes as she broke away. "I am the Fire Lord. And you _are_ my friend." Damn, he hadn't meant to admit that. Not yet.

She snarled incoherently as she fell, tripped up by Zuko's legs and distracted by his flames. He gasped when her grasping hands caught his shirt and she inadvertently pulled him down after her. He landed heavily, his mind racing. Katara was spluttering on the ground next to him. His hand snaked out with a mind of its own, latching on to her arm. She looked down, surprised, and Zuko cursed himself silently. How had he let this fight get way from him so fast?

She was suddenly on top of him, hands braced on either side of head, breath coming in short bursts. Shocked, Zuko let go of her arm and focused instead on the not-unpleasant weight resting on his abs. "If we're friends, then why are we fighting?" she asked softly, almost breathlessly.

"You're so easily riled up," Zuko gasped. "I can't help myself. And you did help the both of us look like fools last night. You can't blame me for being embarrassed and angry. We were in front of my _Court_."

"I know very well where we were," she snapped, shifting slightly. Zuko was again distracted as tremors ran up his torso. What was she _doing_ to him? "It's not my fault you grabbed me—"

He suddenly reached up and grabbed her arms, heaving her off him and rolling her over. As he loomed over her, he smirked, "So you're blaming me for superior strength? I wouldn't touch you if you weren't so damn infuriating." _Liar_, whispered a corner of her mind. _You know you're damn curious. _

"I try not to be," she said weakly, staring up into the molten depths of his eyes. "I only want peace, same as you. And if I think I can help, I say so."

"Next time I'll try to listen," he amended, feeling acutely where she moved slightly against his legs. _I just conceded to a waterbender_, he groaned mentally.

"Next time, I'll try not to be so demanding," she returned gently.

They stared at each other. They had gotten as close as they could get to apologizing, and Zuko knew he wasn't going any further. He found himself wondering again what she would taste like. Probably something good. It wouldn't hurt to find out, would it? His hand flowed down to her neck from where he had pinned her arm. He gently pushed some hair off of her cheek, before he was jolted back to his senses.

"Hey! Get a room!" Toph yelled as she and Aang arrived., having noticed the lack of yelling and shattering ice coming from the general vicinity of their friends.

Katara blushed and muttered, "Get off of me," as Zuko laughed with Toph. He reached a hand down to help her up, merely because it was polite for him to do so. When she stood, Zuko could see that something wasn't quite right. She seemed unbalanced, almost clumsy on her feet. Worry flared unexpectedly. Had he harmed her? He couldn't have. . .

"Katara?" Aang asked. "Is something wrong?"

"Um," she murmured dazedly. "I feel a bit airy."

She suddenly wilted like a flower in the desert. Zuko caught her deftly before she fell. What in the world had she done? Could she have been hurt? How much sleep had she gotten last night? He voiced his last question out loud, and he didn't like the answer. She hadn't slept more than two hours, if that.

He picked her up easily, marveling at how one so strong could be so light to the touch, and began to carry her back. "Let's go," he told the other two. "I think she just needs some rest."

Later, Zuko found himself in his study alone. Alone with an interesting comment from his Uncle, thoughts of trade agreements, and a mental image of Katara. His Uncle had suggested over a quiet lunch that he and Katara pair up for the tournament he was holding. "Uncle, are you crazy?" he had exploded. "We just got over hating each other!"

Nevertheless, he had stuck to the insane idea. Reflecting back, Zuko had to admit his Uncle was right. If the two of them could learn to work together, not only would they be a powerful team, but they would further advocate peace that the shaky trade agreements were undermining. If a waterbender and a firebender could fight side by side, especially two prominent figures such as themselves, it would show the world that peace had truly come at last.

Then there was the fact that Zuko was strangely attracted to her. After the morning's incident, he had opened up to the idea that he _could_ be attracted to her. She was good looking, kind, and willful. A woman any man would jump to have. However, he would not act on these attractions. He didn't need her as anything more than a friend. It was impossible for the Fire Lord to even consider a peasant waterbender as a wi—what was he doing? He shouldn't even be thinking of her.

But she would probably taste—

Damn.

Much later, Zuko knocked hesitantly on Katara's door. Toph had told him that she had awoken shortly after dinner, but was still feeling worn out. After a few vague references to sex and not-too-subtle hints that he should go see her, Zuko had shooed her away. Now he couldn't believe that he was actually following Toph's advice.

"Yes?" he heard her call.

"Can I speak with you?" he asked rather stiffly. Curse it, he didn't know how to act around her. His dating experiences with women in the past had never prepared him for someone like Katara. When he had remained stiff and formal, he hadn't cared for the woman, but whoever she was never seemed to understand that. When he had finally realized that he possessed some natural charm, he hadn't used it with women. He hadn't cared enough. Now that he was Fire Lord, he used it frequently, either to put others at ease, or to win over malcontents. It was easy to be arrogant and suave in front of others. In private, in front of just Katara. . .that was another story. It definitely took him a while to loosen up.

She opened the door and silently let him in with a quick, "Yes, Lord Zuko." He felt a flash of pride.

Zuko closed the door behind him, and glanced around the room. He had given her one the suites with a private garden attached. The wide, window-filled doors were flung open, and sheer curtains fluttered gently in the breeze. Katara was standing with her back to him, arms folded, hair stirring serenely, as she stared into the fountain in the center of the garden. "What is it?" she asked softly, a hint of menace in her voice.

"Are you alright?" he asked, stepping closer and realizing she might blame him for her collapse.

Her voice was weary. "I'm still finding it hard to believe that you care about a mere peasant."

His anger flared and the heat intensified in the room as Zuko struggled for control of himself. Had he said something earlier? This approach obviously wasn't going to work. She was, after all, one of the most temperamental, prideful, stubborn, stuck-up, _beautiful_. . .

This last thought sparked a memory. He had captured a young waterbender once, and tied her up. Of course the crew had snickered behind his back about that for weeks on end, but he had ignored their mockery. Naturally she was a looker, but she was a peasant. _And_ a waterbender. Out of the question.

She was still out of the question, but that didn't stop his hormones. Back then, he had let his attraction run wild because he had had no checks on his emotions. He had been overconfident, egotistical, and set on a goal. He was still set on a goal, but it was different now. It made him feel more purposeful, and stronger. Then, he had needed the Avatar, and he had been confident and suave because he had held the upper hand. Now, he needed peace, and a partner for the tournament. He could be confident and suave. He still held the power. He was stronger physically, and he was still Fire Lord. He had no reason to be afraid of her. He would get what he wanted, and he knew the way he would do it.

He would seduce her.

He could finally put his attractions at rest, and he could fulfill his purpose. The part of him that was still racially biased told him it was near impossible that he could be falling for a waterbender. Therefore, it was all some sort of mistake, and as soon as he acted upon his ludicrous emotions, they would eventually go away. Simple as that.

Now that he had allowed himself to think of her in that way, he narrowed his eyes and let a predatory grin snake across his face. She _was_ striking, a woman that caused heads to turn as she passed. When he was a hairs breath away from touching Katara, he leaned down so that his breath was tickling the nape of her neck and murmured, "_Lady_." He was gratified when she jumped, startled.

His grin widened. This was easy. Charm coupled with his element to create passion. He let it creep into his voice, and he could see Katara begin to tremble slightly. "Your merit far surpasses your birthright, Katara. I'm sorry," the words suddenly slipped out. He mentally cringed, but they had come so easily, that he knew they were sincere. Oh well, maybe this would actually work.

He reached out and smoothed her hair back, lingering as his fingers caressed her cheek. She was so soft. . .and warm. . .

"What do you want, Zuko?" Katara got out.

"Actually, there is something," he said huskily. He turned her to face him and brought her had up to his lips. He kept eye contact as he held her with one arm and brushed his lips gently over the back of her hand. Agni defend him if she didn't have the most spectacularly sapphire eyes. "I would be honored if you would agree to fight with me in the tournament I'm holding. Will you?"

* * *

We will sick Suki and the Kyoshi Warriors on you if you don't review! (after we are done fighting each other) 

Ooh, and vote on the chapter titles! We want to know who is the ACTUAL creative genius!

(Conterra: I am!

Cryssi: EXCUSE ME?! -sends massive boulder careening towards your face-

Conterra: -shatters boulder to bits with amazing whirlwind-)

ANYWAY. . .just review. Please.


	3. Beware of Avatarish Wisdom

A/N: Hello all. We apologize for the delay in updating. We've both been very busy this past week and finding time to edit this chapter (as well as finish writing the new one) has been more difficult that usual. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and we are currently training the Unagi to attack with precision all those who failed to review the story. However, this process has been hindered slightly as us authors are still having issues. . .

Cryssi: -Sends a jet of fire towards your face- Go ahead and fan the flames, bee-atch!

Conterra: Whoa, who are you, the avatar? I am just an airbender. So, umm. . .- hops on aircurrent to dodge bolt of fire and deflects it back- Oh! What now!

Anyway, we hope you enjoy this belated installment of Purple Steam!

_**Chapter 3: **_

**Beware of Avatarish Advice and Flying Projectiles**

**(And Headbands)**

**(And Tea)**

_Men are idiots._

_Take Sokka for example. He's smart, but he has no common sense. Look at Aang. He's so sensible, but he misses emotions or facts that are floating right under his nose. Zuko, however, is a special kind of idiot. _

_He is by far the most arrogant, infuriating, contradictory, and stubborn man on earth._

_The problem is, he is nearly impossible to refuse._

_Any woman would think he's gorgeous, scar and all. It also helps that he has a great and terrible aura of power and mystery._

_He's too dangerous. If I go any farther with him, I could get burned, figuratively and literally. I promised myself that I would stay at a distance. We could be friends._

_Nothing more. _

_I just won't go into his study alone, eat with him alone, or spar with him alone. I'll sit with Sokka at dinner. I'll always have someone around when I have to speak with him._

_It sounds foolish, even in my mind._

_But I must wait until this ridiculous sense of attraction passes. It's irrational. And…I haven't the slightest clue as to what he thinks._

_He's a powerful man and could have any girl he wants. He probably wouldn't look twice at me anyways. I'm a peasant. _

_Yes, I promised myself I wouldn't be alone with him again._

_That fell through pretty quickly._

_I let him into my room, just the two of us._

_What, by all the gods and spirits, was I _thinking

_And now I'm here, heart pounding, body yearning, and I don't know what in hell he's playing at._

_I have to push him away. . .right?_

_Damn._

- - -

Zuko was looking at her expectantly, with arched eyebrows and amber eyes glimmering in the dim lighting of the room. His thumb stroked her hand lightly, sending electric tingles down her spine. He was _much_ too close for comfort. Katara yanked her slender hand out of his much larger one and fairly ran outside to the garden, not noticing when Zuko frowned at her retreat. She could feel him come up behind her, the heat from his body enticing in the slightly chilly breeze of the early summer night.

"Well?" Zuko asked in that same seductive tone. Katara didn't respond as she stared blankly out over the landscape. She folded her arms protectively over her body and tried vainly to calm her racing pulse. Of course, Zuko wouldn't even allow her that luxury. He stepped in front of her, his hands sliding down her arms and coming to rest at her elbows. She uncrossed her arms, hoping he would get the message to back away, but instead he merely took it as an invitation to draw even closer. Katara was eye level with his throat, and she watched in dazed detachment as she saw the muscles there clench and unclench when he swallowed.

"Katara," Zuko said, gently guiding her chin upwards so that their eyes were connected. "_Will you be my partner?_" he asked softly, all traces of seduction gone from his voice. Instead, his tone was full of a quiet but powerful desperation that also radiated out of his surprisingly expressive eyes. Katara wasn't so sure he was merely talking of the tournament.

"Zuko," Katara stammered, wrenching her eyes away from his almost magnetic gaze. "I―I can't," she whispered into his chest, grimacing as she felt him stiffen, sure he was about to embark on a rather ireful diatribe. Maybe that would have been easier to deal with instead of the return of the stiffly formal mask he had had in place when she first answered her door.

"May I inquire as to why you can't?" Zuko questioned tightly.

"I always figured I would partner with Toph," Katara choked out, searching for an excuse to give him. Katara turned to walk away but was stopped when Zuko grabbed her upper arm firmly.

"You haven't agreed to working with her yet," he pointed out, trying not to sound as if he were pleading. "There's nothing stopping you from saying yes."

_Oh there are plenty of good reasons for me not saying yes,_ Katara thought. "But what if she just assumed that we would be a team? She'll be devastated if she can't compete. I can't let her down like that."

Zuko came to stand behind her, so that his chest pressed against her back, both threatening and alluring at the same time. His hands came up to grip her shoulders tightly. Katara tried to resist the urge to melt into the comforting heat of his solid frame, but only halfway succeeded. Still slightly weak from her over expenditure of energy that day, Katara found her legs shaking slightly. Zuko wrapped one arm around her waist, the other across her shoulders, and Katara leaned fully into his warmth, her sagging weight supported easily by his powerful frame.

"Something tells me your refusal has nothing at all to do with Toph," Zuko stated in a low voice near her ear. Snapping back to her senses and wondering how on earth she had allowed this embrace to happen at all, Katara attempted to push him away weakly. Zuko's grip loosened slightly as he went to step away from her, and Katara's knees buckled. She braced herself for an impact on the soft grass, but to her surprise Zuko quickly swept an arm under her knees, lifting her easily off her feet as if she weighed next to nothing. Katara clung tightly to his neck as a wave of nausea hit her.

"It's interesting," Zuko said in mock curiosity, "that you insist on taking care of everyone around you, but you don't take care of yourself." Katara didn't even answer as Zuko carried her back into her suite and into her bedroom. He placed her gently on the pillows, and Katara couldn't help but notice through the fog of exhaustion just how suggestive this situation was. Zuko pulled the covers gently over her and sat next to her on the bed, his hand brushing her hip. She wondered if he was wreaking havoc with her already fatigued and emotionally unstable brain on purpose or if it just came to him naturally.

"Are you going to be alright?" he asked, concerned, his eyes searching hers. Katara nodded mutely, her lids already starting to close. Zuko stood up and began to head towards the door.

"Zuko," Katara said with as much urgency as possible. He turned back to face her. "Thank you." He nodded slightly and Katara swallowed. "I know you're angry with me," she said quietly, struggling to maintain consciousness.

Zuko fixed her with an odd look. "You can be angry at a friend, but that doesn't mean you don't still care for them." Katara smiled sleepily as Zuko stole quietly out of the room, thinking to himself that he would need a very long, _very cold_, bath before he would be able to sleep that night.

- - -

Zuko awoke the next morning troubled and restless. He had spent the night tossing and turning, unable to sleep after he had left Katara's rooms. For the few hours he had managed some semblance of much needed rest, his dreams were plagued by haunting images of Katara's wide sapphire eyes, the rich silk of her hair, the feel of her cheek against his as he leaned down to whisper in her ear, and the fleeting taste of her skin. Most disturbing of all was the image of Katara lying on the bed, her hair spread out around her, dark skin contrasting beautifully with the muted scarlet of the sheets.

On the other hand, his waking hours had been spent lying on his back, staring into the crimson ceiling of his canopy. His thoughts had been racing at an almost impossible speed, flitting around from subject to subject, all of them inevitably returning to the status of his relationship with the waterbender. He kept telling himself that the feelings would fade once he had had her, once they had both slaked their curiosity, and surrendered to their hormones. Yet he could not shake the disturbing feeling that he was just fooling himself, and doing a very poor job of it, too.

Zuko bathed and dressed quickly, discovering that he had overslept his usual waking time by a little over a half an hour, which did nothing to improve his mood. Wondering how he was supposed to run a country while his thoughts were completely possessed by Katara _everything_, Zuko stalked his way down the open air corridor which lead to his private dining hall. He had decided that food and perhaps some much needed tea would aid in settling his thoughts for the day ahead.

As he neared his destination, he was surprised to hear voices drifting out of it already, followed by very loud laughter.

"Toph, _don't_!" Zuko heard the familiar voice of the Avatar squeal. Zuko smirked wryly; the Avatar's voice hadn't reached that pitch since before the war, having finally lowered into a lilting baritone. Curious, he sped up to see exactly _what_ the Avatar and his former teacher were doing. "Have mercy, have mercy!" Aang managed in between fits of laughter.

"Well, give me back my headband and I'll stop!" Toph's voice echoed down the corridor. Zuko rounded a corner in time to see Toph tickling the much taller teen who was fairly writhing with laughter on the floor, clutching a green piece of cloth tightly. Zuko noticed with a jolt that Toph's hair was cascading freely down her back.

Finally, Toph managed to seize her headband from the Avatar's grip. Aang pushed himself into a sitting position, his knees on either side of a triumphant Toph. Zuko arched an eyebrow, temporarily distracted. He wondered if they realized how suggestive this looked to innocent bystanders. Aang was staring at Toph with wide eyes, and their noses were only inches apart.

"What did you do that for?" Toph demanded a little breathlessly. Aang blushed red enough to match the cushion he was sitting on.

"I just wanted to see you with your hair down," he returned defensively. "You always wear it up." He reached out a hand and brushed the ebony strands lightly over her shoulders. "You look really pretty when it's down," he complimented. Toph, blushing furiously, huffed and returned to their abandoned breakfast.

"Well, you succeeded. You got to see it down," she said peeved. Her expression brightened somewhat. "Now you get to fix it."

Aang sat up fully, startled. "What do you mean, _fix it_?" he queried. Toph rolled her eyes.

"_Do_ something with it. Katara usually pins it up for me now that it's so long. But I had to do it myself this morning and apparently it didn't turn out so well, since you were able to wreck it so effectively." She scooted around so that her back was to Aang, brushing her waist-length hair over her shoulders. "Pull it back somehow; I don't care what you do." She reached a hand over to pick up her tea, taking a sip. Aang fingered her hair, looking very perplexed.

"Um, is a braid okay?" he asked hesitantly. "Sokka taught me how to braid rope once. I figure hair isn't that different."

"That's fine Twinkle Toes," Toph replied taking a large bite out of a pastry. Aang divided her hair into three sections and began to carefully braid it. Zuko, from his position in the doorway where he had managed to watch the entire scene unnoticed (he thought Toph was either incredibly engaged in the events or getting soft), was astonished to see Toph redden again as Aang's fingers brushed her neck. His thoughts began to stray toward another female's neck, causing him to stride purposefully toward the table and plop himself rather heavily on a cushion across the table from Toph and Aang.

Toph looked up sharply at his entrance. "When did you get here, Firefly?" she demanded.

Zuko poured himself a steaming cup of tea. "I've been here for quite a while, but I daresay you were too _distracted _to notice." Zuko had meant it to sound teasing, but it came out as almost jealous instead. Both teens blushed, but Toph recovered quickly and waved his comment aside, her brow furrowing.

"What's up your butt this fine morning?" she inquired petulantly.

Zuko bit into a pastry despondently before grinding out, "Nothing," in response.

Toph sighed and took a bite of her own pastry. "Alright, if you want to sulk, that's fine with me. Twinkle-Toes and I were just discussing the competition." Aang's eyes flickered toward Zuko, who was sitting in a rather uncharacteristic position with his elbow propped on the table, his head resting in his hand.

"Are you sure you're okay, Zuko?" Aang asked, stopping his actions momentarily. Zuko knocked back the rest of his tea.

"I'm _fine,_" he said menacingly. Aang went back to braiding Toph's hair, subtly poking Toph in the back. She returned the poke, indicating she understood what he meant without verbal communication.

"Twinkle Toes," Toph said rather commandingly. "When you're finished with that, you can kindly go wake my partner for training, seeing as you're not allowed to compete yourself." Aang finished the braid and carefully secured the end with Toph's headband. The braid was slightly loose, but functional. "What's up with that anyway?" Toph demanded, turning to face Zuko. Aang looked up too, curious to know the reason why he was forbidden to compete.

"Because," Zuko drawled, "whoever the Avatar teams up with, the people will think that he favors that nation. It would not only wreck the Avatar's impartial reputation but foster mistrust between the nations, the exact opposite of the tournament's purpose."

Aang shrugged. "I never thought about it that way." He patted Toph's shoulder consolingly. "Sorry, Toph, looks like you're going to have to go with the back up. I'll go get him." With that, Aang airbended himself lightly to his feet, and padded lightly to the door, almost knocking over a young page on his way out. Zuko couldn't help but notice the Avatar staring wistfully at Toph until he rounded the corner. Zuko frowned. Their feelings were either so obvious that even _he_ had noticed, or he was waxing romantic over what he couldn't have. Zuko couldn't decide which frustrated him more.

Zuko was torn away from his thoughts, and straightened abruptly, as the young page came scurrying over, bowing low. "Fire Lord, I have a message for Lady Bei Fong," he gushed breathlessly. The page passed the letter he was carrying into Toph's outstretched hand before bowing even lower, awaiting dismissal.

"Thank you, Genji." Zuko had made it a point to ask and learn the names of almost every palace employee. He felt it helped to build loyalty in his household. The boy smiled, straightened, and turned to walk away just as a sudden thought struck Zuko. "Genji, before you go, search the grounds for Lady Katara and tell her I want to see her."

Genji breathed a quick, "Of course my Lord Zuko!" before trotting away in a manner which reminded Zuko strongly of an ostrich-horse.

Toph waited until the page's footsteps had faded away before asking critically, "What's wrong with you, Princess, and why do I have a strong feeling that it has something to do with Sweetness?"

Zuko snorted. "_Sweetness_ isn't so sweet," he commented dryly.

"_Awwww_," Toph said mockingly. "Did the poor Fire Lord not get any last night?"

Irritated that Toph had pretty much guessed what was bothering him, Zuko snapped a rather menacing "Shut up." Toph's sightless eyes widened.

"What happened?" she asked, surprised. Zuko sighed and slouched, resting his head in his hand once more.

"I asked her to be my partner for the tournament," Zuko said dejectedly. He was grateful when she didn't make a smartass comment.

Instead, Toph looked taken aback. "She turned you down?" she asked, sounding startled. Zuko groaned and relayed the events of the previous night in a rather clipped tone. He was still unused to being able to speak freely in front of his friends, but was eternally glad in this moment that he could. Toph was a valuable asset. She may have been blind, but she still "saw" details that others missed easily. Despite her brash style and sarcastic commentary, Zuko was thankful for her straightforwardness at the end of the day. When he had finished his tale, Toph's eyes were nearly popping.

"_Well,_" she said slowly, reaching over and selecting another pastry off of a nearby tray. "I always figured the two of you would hook up, in more ways than one." Zuko laid his head down on the table, fighting a major headache.

"Why does everyone just assume that I'll do _everything_ with Katara?" he moaned. Toph let out a bark of laughter.

"Because it's so obvious that you've both got it _bad_." Zuko propped his head up and smirked evilly.

"Just like you and Aang?" he asked innocently. Toph nearly choked on her pastry.

"Twinkle Toes and I are only friends," she said through gritted teeth, unsuccessfully hiding her blush.

"Just like me and Katara," Zuko stated triumphantly. Toph rolled her eyes.

"Sure, because _friend's_ pulses always start racing when the other _friend_ enters the room. I don't know if you've noticed, Zuko, but every time Katara comes near you the air always increases slightly in temperature. I don't think you unconsciously heat up the room when _I'm_ in it." She took another bite of pastry, chewing it thoughtfully. "Now, the question is… what are you going to do about it?" She quirked an eyebrow at Zuko.

"I don't _know_. I really think that we'll both feel better if we just let this― whatever it is, take its course. Then everything can go back to normal." Zuko took a large swig of tea as the image of Katara in bed the night before invaded his mind once again. "And I don't see how this is solving my problem of a partner for the competition." He looked at Toph. "Why don't we just team up?"

Toph sighed through a bite of pastry. "Weren't you listening earlier?" she asked swallowing. "I told you, I already have a partner. Your best shot is still Katara if you want to win this thing."

Toph pushed her plate away, and tore open the seal of the letter. "If you want her for your partner, then you have to keep at it until you wear down her resolve and she gives in. The same strategy would probably work in regards to your other _problem_ as well."

She fixed himwith a hard stare across the table, and, although Zuko knew it was impossible, he had an eerie feeling that she was reading something in his eyes that even he wasn't aware of. "Zuko," she said plainly, her voice level. "_If you hurt her, I swear on your precious Agni that I will bury you six feet under._"

Zuko could feel the sincerity behind her words and sat shocked as the petite earthbender's hands moved swiftly across the note. His mind noted idly that it must have been written in Braille. Toph folded the parchment hastily, tucked it inside her kimono and stood up. Zuko distractedly followed suit.

"If you'll excuse me, Firefly, I've got to go get training and, if I'm not mistaken, you have a country to run." She paused at the door. "Oh, you're going to have to have another set of rooms prepared," she said icily, and Zuko belatedly discerned her rigid posture and clenched fists.

"Why?" he asked, wondering what the letter contained that could have provoked such a reaction out of the usually unphased teen.

Toph scowled. "My parents are coming."

Zuko's brow shot up. "I thought you didn't get―"

He was cut off as Toph snapped, "We _don't_ get along." Zuko's mouth tightened. He didn't know much about the Bei Fong family, except that they were some of the most prosperous merchants in the entire Earth Kingdom, and that their trade influence and wealth were legendary. In fact, one of their representatives had been sent as an ambassador to negotiate the exact same trade treaty he and Katara had fought over two nights ago.

"Anything else?" Toph asked impatiently.

"Yeah," Zuko said, realizing he had never asked her an important question. "Who is your partner?"

"Your uncle," she replied, grinning. Zuko's jaw nearly dropped to the floor.

"But he's…" Zuko spluttered.

"Fat and old?" Toph finished for him. "He may be getting up there, but he's got a tournament in him still. It's a good thing he likes tea so much, because that's about all he's going to be consuming until after the tournament."

Zuko laughed, wondering if his Uncle knew what he had gotten himself into. They began to walk in opposite directions, but Zuko paused when Toph called to him airily over her shoulder.

"Oh, and Zuko? Make sure my parents' rooms are smaller than mine. It'll piss them off royally."

- - -

Zuko loosened the collar of his shirt and rubbed his eyes tiredly. It was almost two in the morning and he had just left his study for the night. The trade negotiations had been the stuff of nightmares and it hadn't improved his mood that he hadn't been able to find Katara all day. Even though he hadn't had much time to look for her, Zuko had the distinct feeling she was avoiding him at all costs. He began to peel off his shirt as he entered the private garden that opened off of his rooms, pausing when he realized that someone was already there.

His shirt dropped to the grass, forgotten. Heat flared to his fingertips, preparing him to take his frustrations out on whoever had dared trespass in his garden. The figure turned and he realized that it was merely Katara, gently flowing through her waterbending meditation. Her hair was down, and she was wearing her usual garb of blue tunic and pants. While he was curious to what she was doing here at this hour, Zuko was more enticed by the peaceful, flowing quality of her movements as he approached her. When he reached her side, he didn't speak, but began to imitate her, substituting his own element.

Katara hitched a breath, fully aware of Zuko's presence, but did not open her eyes. As the flowed through the meditation together, Zuko was fascinated at how he could refine the quality of the fire he bent by using waterbending stances. Soon he merely gave over to the relaxing nature of the exercise as the two opposites moved like mirror images. They ended palm to palm, fire meeting water with a loud hiss, and steam curled around them in gentle tendrils. Their fingers interlaced almost of their own accord.

Katara blinked as the steam cleared to reveal a very relaxed, but worn-out-looking Fire Lord. Her eyes widened as they fell on his bare, muscular torso.

"That was interesting," Zuko said softly, bringing her gaze up to his. "I think you have to stop denying that we'd work well together, Katara." His hands were strong and warm, and his thumb stroked hers gently. Katara wondered if fate had a vendetta against her since these moments kept cropping up and were getting harder and harder to resist. She began to pull away, but Zuko tightened his grip on her hands, pulling her swiftly back.

"You've been avoiding me," he declared, his voice accusing. Katara flushed; embarrassed that he had realized that she had indeed been avoiding him.

"I have not," she said firmly as she continued to struggle against his firm grip, annoyed that he had this effect on her. Zuko's eyes narrowed.

"I think you're avoiding me for the same reason you refuse to be my partner," he stated challengingly. "I think you're scared."

He smiled in triumph as the truth flashed across her face. He had spent a main portion of the meeting today dwelling on her actions before coming to this conclusion. Confident now that he had come to the right one, he dropped one of her hands and, using their still connected clasp, tugged her against his chest, bringing his hand to grip her hip, preventing her from retreating.

"And what am I scared of?" Katara asked defiantly, cursing herself because she knew he could detect the tremor in her voice. He released her other hand, drawing her even closer.

"Of _this_," he replied, leaning so that their foreheads were nearly touching. "Of ―whatever _this_ is that's between us." She shivered when his hand traced her side.

"Zuko, we can't _do_ this, nothing good will ever come of it," she pleaded, placing her arms on his biceps, attempting to gain as much space as she could within the confines of his arms.

"Why not?" he demanded. "Why can't we do this? Other people act upon their attractions all the time and no one says _they_ can't." He bent his head and nibbled lightly on her neck, before planting a delicate kiss there. Katara couldn't help letting a strangled whimper escpae.

"We aren't _other people_, Zuko!" she protested, pushing against him. He reluctantly allowed her to force him back and meet her eyes. "You're the Fire Lord! Don't you think people would have a problem if they find out that their monarch was dating some girl from the Water Tribe?" Zuko scowled.

"This has nothing to do with them," he stated forcefully. "This has to do with you and me and how much better we'll feel once we've satisfied this ―whatever it is." He leaned his cheek against hers to breathe into her ear, "Say you'll be my partner, in both meanings of the word." Katara's knees gave out, and she fell against Zuko's chest. She leaned her head back to look at him.

"If…if I agree to be your partner for the competition," she said over the roaring of blood in her ears. "You have to promise that you'll stop pursuing the…the _other_ meaning of that word. It's too dangerous, Zuko."

He stroked her cheek lightly with his hand. "The only danger I see is how close you are to giving in. But I'll stop for now," he agreed, sifting her hair through his fingers. "Only because I'm satisfied that you've agreed to the first part tonight. Tomorrow, that might not be good enough." He brushed his lips against her cheek. It was a hot, silken promise. "I'll see you tomorrow morning for practice, where you're going to tell me exactly why you were in my garden at two o'clock in the morning." She blushed and he released her, his hands lingering on her hips because he _really_ didn't want to let her go. Dazedly, Katara made to exit the garden the wrong way.

Zuko chuckled as he bent to retrieve his shirt from where he dropped it. "Katara," he said suddenly in a much better mood than he had been in all day. "Your room is that way," he grinned as he gently steered her in the right direction. "Or," he started with a smirk, "if you're too tired to make it back, you could always sleep with me."

Straightening and regaining some of her composure, she threw a suggestive look at him and said, "It _is_ a long walk, at that. Maybe I will."

"Katara—" he gasped, reaching for her once more.

She laughed in his face. "In your dreams. Good night, Loverboy."

And with that, she flounced out of his garden, leaving Zuko both anguished and elated.

- - -

When they met the next morning, Zuko discovered that Katara had been in his garden because she hadn't been able to sleep and had decided that meditation might help her relax. She had gone into her own garden to bend, but had come across a teenage maid and her lover. Frustrated, she had roamed the palace, only to find almost all of the gardens occupied in this manner. She had then remembered Zuko's garden and, knowing he was still in a meeting, had decided that desperate times called for desperate measures. Zuko laughed at her story, and the two fell into a slightly uneasy partnership.

Over the next couple of days, Zuko and Katara met early in the dining hall before training. Zuko's time was limited because he had a country to run, but Katara understood that very well. They practiced as much as they could; in between Zuko's meetings, at lunch, even before bed. Katara was usually so tired by nightfall that she merely collapsed on her bed without taking her clothes off.

Zuko had not pushed her any further in regards to their other 'partnership' and for that she was grateful. She was bound to give in sometime, and she knew he knew it. At least he was considerate enough to give her time to accept her fate. However, there had been that slightly embarrassing episode the night before. . .

They had been working on a new move in Zuko's private garden when Katara had declared that it was break time. She had fallen back on the grass, Zuko beside her. Before she knew it, she was waking up as the sun crested the horizon, her head on Zuko's chest and his arms wrapped possessively around her waist. Katara had rushed to her room, hoping to avoid the palace staff.

By the time she had bathed, changed, and managed to unknot the mess that was her hair, she was running late for morning practice. This was the reason she was munching on a rather large muffin as they made their way through the corridors to the practice area that had been set up for the multitudes of benders that had been pouring into the country during the last week.

"Zuko," she said thoughtfully, pulling a little more of the wrapper off of the muffin. "I've been thinking, now that we're a team…what are we going to wear?"

Zuko snorted and rolled his eyes. "Leave it to you to think of that. Don't we have more pressing matters to attend to?"

She shot him a death glare over the top of the muffin. "Not right now we don't," she huffed. "Besides, I _refuse_ to wear red. It looks _terrible_ on me."

Zuko shot her a sideways glance, and Katara couldn't help the shiver that ran down her spine when she saw an odd glint in his eye. "I happen to think you'd look very nice in red," he said quietly. In fact he _knew_ that she looked stunning in red, as the image of her tan skin next to the scarlet silk of her bed sheets came floating into his mind's eye. "Anyway, I'm the Fire Lord," he stated matter-of-factly, as if it solved everything. "I _cannot_ be seen in Water Tribe blue."

Katara nudged him with her elbow as she shoved some more muffin into her mouth. "See, I refuse to wear red, and you refuse to wear blue. What are we going to wear?"

"How about purple?" Aang suggested as he came up behind them, his glider in one hand, and a large pastry in the other. He kept having to move it out of the reach of Momo, who was sitting on his shoulder and eying it hungrily.

Zuko smacked his forehead. "And _why_ do you suggest purple, oh wise and powerful Avatar?" he said mordantly. Aang smiled, ignoring Zuko's tone.

"_Because_, when you mix red and blue, you get purple," Aang said simply. Zuko turned to protest to Katara, but, to his dismay, he could already see the wheels turning in her head.

"Oh_, no_," Zuko stated firmly. "I am _not_ wearing purple." Katara flicked a piece of muffin at him in annoyance, causing Aang to laugh when it hit Zuko in the nose.

"Well, I think it's a good idea. A blending of two nations, two colors, two elements, one team. Very symbolic. Isn't that what this whole tournament is supposed to be about?" Katara asked, feigning innocence.

"_Fine_," Zuko growled, deciding anything was better than blue. "Just make sure it's not a _girly_ shade of purple."

Katara smiled in triumph. "Done," she replied happily. "Do you think that if I went out and got the material today someone could help me make them?" Zuko tore off a piece of her muffin and popped it into his mouth.

"I'm _the Fire Lord_. I can have whatever I want, when I want. You don't even have to pick up a needle. Pick out some material, sketch a few designs, and hey'll be done by tomorrow." Zuko turned his attention towards Aang, ignoring Katara as she mumbled something about wanting to help.

"What are you doing here, gracing us with your wonderful suggestions so early in the morning?" he asked his bald friend.

Aang smiled and it struck Katara that it was the only thing about the young Avatar that hadn't grown up. She cast a glance at Zuko, wondering for the first time when exactly he had morphed from the arrogant, pony-tailed prince who had tied her to a tree, into the rather incredible man ruling a country he was today. She turned her attention to Aang as he made to answer Zuko's question, moving the pastry away from Momo once more.

"I'm going to watch Toph and Iroh train," he replied easily. "Momo_, no_―" Zuko eyed the pastry and raised his eyebrow.

"Is that for Uncle?" he asked. Aang laughed.

"No, it's for Toph. Do you know how badly she'd hurt me if she found out I was giving Iroh contraband?" he grinned, as the trio emerged into the sunshine of the practice area just outside the palace gates.

The practice area was just a large, clear field with small streams of water that had been dug out to define the boundaries of one teams' area from another, as well as to supply water for the waterbending competitors. Many of the areas were full, and the sound of crackling fire, breaking earth, and water slicing through the air echoed in the clear morning stillness. Just as they were about to step across one of the small streams to find a court to practice on, Aang started to laugh. Wondering just what was so amusing, Zuko and Katara turned to find Iroh, who was sweating profusely and panting for breath as he was chased around the track by a belligerent Toph. The diminutive green-clad teenager kept bending the earth in front of him so he was running up and down a series of small hills.

"Come on fat man!" she bellowed. "They call you the Dragon of the West and yet you're slower than a lizard-turtle! My _grandma_ runs faster than you!" Iroh didn't seem to notice them as he jogged by. Toph slowed to a walk and grabbed the pastry from Aang. "Thanks Twinkle-Toes," she said gratefully, taking a large bite of it. Zuko raised his eyebrow; he had underestimated both the stamina of his uncle and the relentless nature of the petite earthbending master.

"Impressive," he complimented. "He looks to have lost ten pounds already." It was true; Iroh's bulk was considerably lessened. Toph grinned.

"Thanks. I feel sort of bad for him, but he'll thank me later when he's in the best shape of his life. We'll make it through the first couple of rounds easily. I'm just worried about his stamina as we go up against the better benders." Noticing Iroh slowing down, Toph called loudly to his retreating form, "Did I tell you you could slow down?" She finished the rest of her pastry and grabbed Aang's arm. "Come on Twinkle Toes; let's go give him some moral support." Katara watched Toph drag Aang in pursuit of Iroh.

"Is that what they call it these days?" she giggled. "Sounds more like verbal abuse."

Zuko laughed, something he seemed to do more often when Katara was around, and tugged her into an empty arena next to that of a green-clad earthbender. "Come on," he said. "Let's get to work."

They trained for the better part of an hour, trying new moves and honing existing skills. Partway through, Toph and Iroh came to practice on the other side of the earthbender.

Ignoring the loud, grating sounds of earth being bent, Zuko and Katara worked on being able to produce water and fire whips that would strike their opponents simultaneously in opposite directions. There were just fine-tuning the move when there was a loud commotion next to them. The earthbender in the ring directly to their right was attempting a basic punching move which would send a rock flying at an opponent. On the third try, he missed and the rock went flying into Zuko and Katara's ring, barely missing Katara's arm.

"Watch it," Zuko warned the earthbender. When the man merely shrugged, Zuko was tempted to shoot a fireball at him, but he restrained himself and turned away. "Let's try it again," he said, focusing once again on Katara. They had just taken their stances to begin the move again when Katara abruptly screamed.

"Zuko, look out!" She flicked her wrist, trying to use water to slice through the small boulder that was hurtling in their direction, but was too late. In panic, Zuko only saw the rock and Katara. He ran, shoving her out of the way of the oncoming projectile.

Zuko felt a searing pain shoot up his side as the boulder made contact. He fell sideways, acutely aware of Katara screaming his name. Opening his eyes when he felt Katara kneel next to him, he saw only the green-clad earthbender and Toph in the arena behind him, alone, her arms outstretched. He blinked slowly, and the green earthbender vanished. The last thing he felt was Katara's small hand clutching his arm before everything faded into darkness.

- - -

Sooooooo. . .

REVIEW! Or Cryssi will throw. . .uber-cool green lightning at you? That is apparently what she just did to Conterra. . .


	4. Of Suject Avoidance and Distraction

A/N: We apologize for the incredibly long delay in updating. Though our argument continued:

Cryssi: (_Fires uber-cool green lightning at Conterra's face_) THIS! OH! I'm like the friggin' Avatar, you pussy airbender!

Conterra: I'm the most cool airbender in the world who isn't the Avatar. Beat that! (_Corkscrews through the air to dodge green lightning and land on Cryssi's face)_

Cryssi:(_Dodges attack and assumes water octopus position before whipping a tentacle across Conterra's gut)_ TAKE THAT!

We were however forced to postpone finishing our argument until we were able to wade through a mountain of pointless homework assignments and tests prior to spring break. Then, Conterra decided to go to Virginia Beach on vacation, leaving me to edit and post the chapter all on my lonesome. However, once it was ready to post for some unknown reason, I was unable to do so due to some repeating error. This chapter might seem slightly like a filler chapter, but rest assured it is not and contains important elements that advance the plot. Hopefully, you'll enjoy it and come back to read the fifth chapter which is well underway of being written. Don't forget to review! Pwease?

**Chapter 4: **

**Of Subject Avoidance and Distraction Tactics**

_"Zuko?" A female voice calls hesitantly. Her tone is soft, and it is unmistakably Katara. I marvel at how she sounds almost exactly as I've imagined she would the many times I've envisioned **this** moment over the past week. _

_I crack an eye open, and am surprised to see Katara leaning over me, her fantastic eyes large and apprehensive. This dream has to be the best dream _ever

_I open my mouth to speak, but she lays one slender, dark skinned finger on my lips. "Shhhh" she whispers soothingly, her eyes searching mine. _

_I reach a hand out, giving in to the overwhelming desire to touch her. My fingers curl around the back of her neck, the skin feeling exactly as I remembered. Surprisingly, she feels incredibly solid. I can feel the muscles in her neck move as she swallows nervously. _

_It's so realistic. Perhaps too realistic. . . _

_Snapping both eyes open, the world comes into complete, sharp focus, including the woman sitting next to me, her face only mere inches from mine. _

_Damn, it _**is**_ her! _

_Oh well, I don't really know how we ended up in this position but I intend on taking full advantage of it. . . _

- - -

Zuko felt dizzy. He couldn't remember the events that had placed him in this delightful situation at all. He could only see the concerned waterbender leaning over him, all he felt was her soft skin beneath his oversensitive palms, and all he could hear was the sound of their harsh breaths echoing in the silence of the room. It all blended together to create a familiar, agonizing desire inside of him.

Damn it all to Agni, Katara had to be weaving some sort of spell around him. It wasn't fair that someone could affect another person like this. The gods had to hate him. Had he done something to offend them? Not left an offering, forgotten a prayer? Skipped a feast day? Not bowed to a shrine?

"Katara," he whispered, his hand moving to tangle in her hair. He heard her breath hitch in her throat as he brought his other hand up to cup her face. He smirked, but the functioning part of his brain was more than slightly alarmed at the haze clouding his mind. _Curses, what was wrong? _ He forced his thoughts away from Katara and tried to remember, but the fog in his brain just kept growing.

"_Katara_," he whispered again, this time more urgently. She had to be real, and she _had_ to tell him what was wrong with him.

He began to fall back into the abyss that was in his mind, grasping blindly at anything to keep him anchored. He heard Katara say from seemingly far away, "He must delirious. I don't know what he's doing, Sokka." A strange and discomfiting feeling of ineptitude fell over him for a moment, before the darkness claimed him once more.

- - -

Katara desperately tried to pry Zuko's fingers from her arm as Sokka yelled wildly beside her.

"What do you _mean_ you don't know what he's doing?! I know what he's doing! He's having nasty little fantasies about my LITTLE SISTER in his sleep, _that's_ what he's doing! I am **not** going to stand here and let it happen!"

"Looks like that's what you're doing, Snoozles," Toph muttered from her position on the plush armchair beside the Fire Lord's bed.

"I can't do anything right now because he's asleep!" Sokka retorted. "When he gets up, that's a different story!" Sokka sighed, throwing his arms in the air. "Look, I don't care what he does with his personal life! It just **cannot** include Katara." Sokka's eyes narrowed as he rounded on his sister. "You are **not being his partner for that cursed tournament**!"

"**WHAT**?!" Toph and Katara yelled at the same time.

"You can't do that!" Toph cried indignantly, jumping into an earthbending stance.

"Who said that you can control my life?!" Katara shrieked, finally escaping Zuko's death-grip and readying a water whip from her healing bowl.

"Guys, guys," Aang said soothingly, walking into the room in his "Avatar" pose, hands outspread and his face set into a calming smile. "Can't we work this out _without_ destroying Zuko's bedchamber?"

"No, actually, I don't think we can," Katara gritted out, eyes snapping with pale fire. "Sokka here thinks he can one, control my life, two, make dumb conclusions about Zuko, and three, make even dumber conclusions about me AND Zuko."

"Oh," Aang said knowingly, his gray eyes widening. _"That."_

"Aang, tell Sokka he _cannot_ forbid Katara from being Zuko's partner," Toph commanded, her eyes trained on the spot his voice had come from.

Aang laughed nervously under the heated stares of his female friends before quickly turning toward the person responsible for their righteous anger. "So, Sokka, what's wrong?"

"I am not having that Fire Nation creep _do_ things with my sister!" Sokka bellowed, suddenly blushing furiously.

"_Do_ things?" Toph asked maliciously, not breaking her stance. "Like _what,_ genius?"

"Umm, err, well. . ." Sokka stuttered, his blush deepening.

"I guess there isn't really a problem then, is there," Aang interjected quickly, grinning openly. "You don't actually _know_ what you have a problem with, ergo, no problem! Zuko and Katara can still be partners!"

"But!" Sokka spluttered.

"THE AVATAR HAS SPOKEN!" Toph and Katara thundered in unison. They laughed sheepishly at each other when they realized what they had done. After Ozai had fallen, Aang had taken up the usual duties of the Avatar; helping people with their problems, listening to complaints, and settling disputes. Some people were completely skeptical of the Avatar's insight, while others were trusting. Katara and Toph remained with him until the skepticism passed and his wisdom was accepted in the majority of the three nations. During that time, "The Avatar has spoken" became almost a catch phrase. After a while, it had become a joke, but it had been more than effective in its use.

"Uhhh. . .Well, I still don't like it," Sokka declared. "This is wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. Next thing you know, _I'll _be seeing Aunt Wu and the Air Nomads will come back!" With this rather cynical remark, he stormed out of the room muttering to himself and gesticulating wildly.

Katara and Toph relaxed when the door was shut firmly behind him. "Thanks, Aang," Katara sighed gratefully.

"I am going to go compose a prayer of thanksgiving immediately," Toph declared, the tension draining from her shoulders.

"What for?" Katara frowned.

"I don't have an older brother," she grinned impishly, making her way towards the door. "I'm going to go find Iroh. His workout should be almost over, and I guess he should come see his nephew."

"How awfully nice of you," Katara said sarcastically.

Aang laughed. "Ah, come on, Katara. Toph is just trying to get Iroh in shape."

"I know. He must have been in shape at one point." Katara resumed her seat on Zuko's bed. "Why does he have to be fit again? He's been in retirement for ages."

"Because _I _said so, Sweetness," Toph stated proudly. "Hey, Twinkle Toes, want to do me a favor?"

Aang's expression was guarded. "What is it?" he asked cautiously.

Toph actually blushed, much to Katara's amazement. "I, uh. . .actually, could you go get Iroh? I need to talk to Katara."

"Sure," Aang shrugged, his expression slightly confused at Toph's rapid change in demeanor. "No problem. We'll be here in a few minutes."

When the door closed, Katara rubbed her face with her hands. "That was close," she admitted to her palms.

"I forgot Sokka was still so biased," Toph frowned. "How are you going to handle Genius-boy when you and Zuko actually start courting?"

"Who said I was ever going to court Zuko?" Katara demanded hotly.

Toph sighed. "Do I have to go over this again?"

Katara paled. "No, I really don't think you do."

"Maybe I was unclear on a few things," Toph grinned.

Katara decided to play her ace-in-the-hole, a fleeting thought that she had almost missed when it whizzed by, and fast. "Like you and Aang?"

Katara watched in amusement as the expression on Toph's face changed from surprise, to stunned shock, to anger, and back to her customary wry but staid countenance. "What about us?"

"Don't give me that," Katara laughed. "'Do I need to explain sexual tension to you?'" she mocked.

"_You_ don't give _me_ that," Toph growled. "I am perfectly capable of solving my own boy problems, which is more than you can say."

"Oh really," Katara grinned. "When was the last time you solved one of your guy problems?"

"I got rid of all the idiotic suitors out for my money," Toph said smugly. "And I got Menino Saro to court me."

"Yes, yes, of course," Katara smirked, "but what about _Aang_?"

"Twinkle Toes?" she scoffed. "You're joking."

"Denial!" Katara crowed triumphantly. "I know what I just saw, and what I've been seeing, _and_ according to _your_ definition of 'sexual tension' you and him—"

"Alright, alright," Toph hissed. "Maybe I like him. Maybe he's a sweet guy. Maybe I'm proud of what he's done. Maybe I _could_ think of it like that. But maybe _I don't want to_!"

"Why not?" Katara frowned.

"It's complicated, okay?" Toph gritted out. "Aang would never like me like that. And I don't want to manipulate him into something he doesn't want. I lo—respect him too much for that."

"Right," Katara said softly, catching the slip of her tongue. "Toph, I really think you're purposefully ignoring signals."

Her friend looked at her sharply. "What?"

"Aang likes you," Katara said bluntly. "You _honestly_ haven't caught him staring? Or brushing past you? Or doing everything you say?!"

"Uh. . ." Toph blushed, her eyes darting toward the doorway as she felt for any sign of the Avatar's return. "Can we _not_ talk about this right now?"

"Toph," her friend said firmly. "You made me talk about Zuko! So it's only fair that I make you talk about Aang."

"What about Aang?" Toph yelled. "He's bald, he bends air, and rides a flying bison. Isn't his stick cool? Don't you love Appa? There. We talked about Aang."

Katara raised an eyebrow. "His _stick_?"

Toph flushed. "You know what I meant!"

Katara started laughing. "Wow. Who would have thought I'd see the day when the great Toph Bei Fong blushes and stutters over a boy." Katara nudged her friend's shoulder playfully. "And Aang no less." Katara frowned when her petite friend brushed away her hand and retreated a few steps.

Toph took a few deep breathes and then said calmly, "Aang is off limits."

"Really?" Katara inquired skeptically.

"Yes. He is the Avatar. He cannot have any attachments to worldly things," she huffed, gesturing to herself. "_I_ happen to fall under that category."

Katara rolled her eyes. "That _isn't_ what the Guru said. Not exactly. That's a theory."

"And a damn good one too!" Toph shot back. "I can't hinder him—anyway, he doesn't like me _like that_, for the thousandth time!"

"Gods defend," Katara muttered. "Make an effort! Admit to yourself that for once you _could_ actually have someone who neither underestimates you, nor is scared of you!"

"Menino wasn't sacred of me," Toph mumbled petulantly.

"Yes he was," Katara replied, gently placing an encouraging hand on Toph's shoulder. "Aang and you are open with each other, you already support each other, and most importantly, you understand each other."

Toph's shoulders slumped with defeat. "You really think so?" she whispered.

Katara beamed. "Definitely."

"He's a blockhead. I think I have tried to, _you know_, but he's pretty, uh, purposefully oblivious? Confused? He's been pretty _not_ understandable lately. I so much as say, 'Hey Aang! How's it going?' and he'll do something dumb."

Katara laughed. "He'll get over it. He must be confused. Maybe I should talk to him too. I know you've talked to Zuko."

"How did you know I talked to Zuko?" Toph exclaimed in surprise.

The name 'Zuko' hung in the air for a brief moment, glittering dully, until it's owner suddenly exploded, and all hell broke loose.

- - -

Zuko was floating upwards, drifting peacefully through a midnight haze. It was nice to be blissfully unaware for a few joyous moments, but some part of him knew he had something important to attend to and that he should try and get up.

He sighed and struggled to break the surface of his mind, blinking his eyes slowly to rid them of their heaviness. He had a hazy recollection of Katara leaning over him, and then more darkness. What had happened before then? Brief flashes began to surface. The palace gates . . .streams. . . his uncle running. . .Katara waterbending. . .and then everything came back together with a jolt, causing him to growl.

He had been hit.

With a boulder.

And he was Fire Lord.

What. The. Hell.

His sheets were ripped from the mattress, his nightstand violently tipped over, and several things were shattered against the floor as he started from his bed with a roar and a string of obscenities.

He began to pace up and down one side of his room like a caged tiger, blistering the air with expletives and gesturing wildly. Katara and Toph stood frozen, staring open-mouthed at the Fire Lord as he raged and smashed.

"Katara," Toph suddenly whispered. "Where are his usual light effects?"

The waterbender frowned. "His what?"

"His fire. Where's his fire?"

"Oh no," Katara whispered. "I never considered this might happen."

Toph was rubbing her forehead. "Great. All-powerful Fire-boy went and got his chi blocked. What do we do now, have Aang make him onion and banana juice?"

"Toph, shush," Katara murmured, looking at Zuko in apprehension. "He's bound to figure it out any moment now. . ."

Zuko suddenly stopped mid-stride. Oblivious to the two women staring at him in trepidation, he slowly looked down at his hands. The same inept feeling he had felt before passing out a little while ago was back, crawling through his system and making him uneasy. His heart froze. Slowly, he turned to look at his canopied bed. The sheets weren't singed. He looked at the night stand. No smoldering. He looked back at his hands.

No fire.

_No fire. _

His head reeled. No fire. No bending.

Zuko stood in shocked silence for a full minute, his thoughts repeating over and over, _The Fire Lord without flames. Why can't I bend? Why can't I bend? The Fire Lord can't be without flames. Why can't I bend? _

Then he recalled Ty Lee. The flow of chi. The weak points of the body.

The damn boulder.

He clenched his fists and yelled at the ceiling with a primeval roar, one that would usually have been accompanied with an inferno, head back, eyes closed. He ended breathing heavily, head bowed over his shaking, balled hands. "Alright. Start talking. I'll listen," he gritted out.

He heard Katara mutter something that sounded strangely like, "Are you sure you're done, yet?" before instructing Toph to get the rest of his close friends into the room.

Damn it, he **needed** his bending. He was the _Fire Lord_. What was he supposed to _do?_

After some more pacing, a few more violent outbursts (Katara had to tell him that no, they didn't know who the earthbender was; yes, his bending would return but that it would take time for the chi to start flowing again after being blocked and him being knocked out as well. How long? A couple days, at least) and some soothing words from Katara, Zuko was reasonably well calmed down and sitting on his bed, leaning against his headboard, staring into a cup of tea. He looked up when the door opened to admit Toph, Aang, his Uncle, Sokka, his personal aide Haikru, and an older noble named Asuno. Asuno had been Zuko's acquaintance when he was growing up, but now that he had assumed the throne, the man had become not only a trusted advisor but a friend as well.

"Uh. . .How are you feeling, Zuko?" asked Toph cautiously, climbing into her recently vacated arm chair next to his bed.

Zuko blinked. Toph had just called him Zuko. She must be worried, and, Zuko thought as he looked ruefully at the chaos he had caused in the bedchamber, she had ever right to be.

He grinned at the earthbender who stubbornly refused to call him anything more than an "annoyance" to his face but would proclaim their friendship as a challenge to anyone else. "I'm fine, Rocky-road," he assured her, using the nickname he had begun calling her (much to her displeasure) one night after they discovered a shared love of that ice-cream flavor.

She sighed in relief, glad that he was well enough to use his nickname for her. "Don't ever scare me like that again, Firefly." Zuko raised his eyebrow. Toph was admitting she was scared? Had something happened to her while he was out?

"I thought I'd have to witness Katara deliver mouth-to-mouth resuscitation," she finished with a smirk, causing Zuko to make a face and roll his eyes. Nope. Same Toph.

Asuno settled himself next to Toph, inclining his liberally silver-streaked head toward Zuko. "Fire Lord. Since I'm polite, I won't say you're a complete idiot."

Zuko's brow knitted even farther. "_Thanks,_ Asuno. That really helped to heal my wounded pride."

"I was talking about the room," Asuno said with a straight face. "If you didn't want that porcelain vase anymore, you could have told me and I could have sold it on the black market for a fortune."

"Stop that, Asuno," Haikru reproved, smiling and also bowing slightly to Zuko. "You know Zuko probably would have sold it himself."

Zuko sighed. Despite the fact that Haikru was only a few years older than Zuko, he was so like his uncle, it never failed to surprise him. The two were actually good friends, even though Haikru detested tea, much to the old general's dismay. "Hello, Lord Haikru."

"Fire Lord. We missed you at the meeting this morning."

"Have I been out all day?" Zuko asked a little forlornly, glancing at the door to his garden and seeing that it was nightfall.

"Actually, you've been asleep two days," Sokka muttered as he slouched in. "Katara's got barely any sleep, and it's all _your_ fault.

Zuko looked sharply at the tan waterbender, and she blushed, laughing sheepishly. "I slept…some…" Katara replied defensively.

"You also drank more tea then I did to keep you awake," Iroh reminded her as he and Aang came in. A profound change had come over Iroh. He looked even calmer than usual, and his face was thinner. His whole body seemed to be diminished, which was very odd, and yet it suited him. He appeared to be medium weight instead of contentedly large.

"Wow, Uncle," Zuko said, tipping his head slightly to the side. "You look. . .different. I haven't properly looked in a while."

"I know," Iroh beamed. "I think pairing with Miss Bei Fong—I mean young Toph—was one of the craziest and wisest decisions I have ever made. I haven't felt better since before the Battle of Ba Sing Se."

"Zuko, we had that final tournament meeting this morning," Aang told him. "I'm sorry you had to miss it."

"What have you been telling people?" Zuko asked, suddenly horrified.

"Oh, you know," Toph said brightly. "'Sorry, everyone, the Fire Lord tripped and fell on his formal robes and has been confined to his quarters until further notice so that the seamstress can fix his clothes before he rips anymore."' Annoyed, Zuko threw his Fire Lord emblem at her, and she deftly caught it. "You're not getting this back anytime soon," she informed him, securing it at the top of her long plait which, he assumed, she had coerced Aang into braiding once more.

"They just said you were incredibly busy," Aang supplied. "The council was told you were indisposed."

The talk quickly turned to the minor incidents Zuko had missed and the reports of the final Tournament meeting. The arenas were mainly done, the benders were pouring in, and the rules were hammered out. Officials were nearly done constructing brackets, but the deadline for entry was the next day. Preliminary elimination matches would begin the day after that and the main part of tournament would commence two weeks later, three days before Zuko's birthday. Thousands were entering, and it promised to be the largest quad-nation event in over two hundred years.

Asuno expressed his exasperation with the trade negotiations with the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribe. No easy solution was surfacing, the Bei Fong negotiator was being difficult, and the trade routes were slower than usual due to overcrowding. The Bei Fong negotiator had hinted that he supported the opening the island the Water Tribe wanted to use as a free port, and Zuko knew he could _not_ open the island, one way or the other. Or, at least, not yet. . .

Haikru and Iroh had held down the fort for Zuko when he had been hallucinating. The nobles, a touchy lot, were already none too happy with their ruler because he wasn't married as of yet. A day or two of absence had almost sent them into a frenzy. The aide reported that he had heard several of the nobles engaged in heated debates about what was keeping Zuko from appearing in court. _Some of the theories revolving around assassination attempts, weren't that far from the truth_, he thought, frowning as his eyes fell on Katara. _Although it didn't seem to be his life they were after. _

Zuko rubbed his face tiredly. The stupid island, the ridiculous tournament, his crazy nobles, and his injury compounded, made him feel tired and worn. Suddenly his head shot up. The first matches of the tournament were to be held in _two days_, and from what he had heard, he and Katara were among the first matches.

Toph had already gotten there ahead of him, however. "What is he going to do about their matches?" she asked, stabbing a finger in his direction.

"What do—oh _gods_," Katara sighed. "I forgot. What are we going to do about Zuko's bending? He'll be well enough to go around tomorrow—"

"Good, he needs to meet my parents with me," Toph interrupted.

There was a short uncomfortable silence. Even Asuno knew of Toph's issues with her parents. Aang's head shot in her direction. "Your parents?' he asked carefully.

"Is all that air hollowing out your head, Twinkle Toes? Of course I said my parents," she snapped turning away from the concerned gaze she could feel boring into her. "It's not that big of a deal. They come, we say hello, I largely ignore them, they bother me about getting married, coming home, managing the business and whatnot, and everything is fine. I'll get over it, and hopefully they will too." But there was an inexplicable tightening in her facial expression, and Zuko thought she was holding something back. He _would_ greet her parents with her, if only to make this easier for his friend.

"I'll come too," Katara told her easily, dissipating the sudden tension in the room and dismissing the issue at the same time. "Anyway, what _are _we going to do about Zuko's bending?"

"We'll have to delay the tournament a few days, that's all," Iroh murmured.

Toph nodded. "I was going to say that. But you have to have a valid reason. I don't know… you could find something wrong with a few of the arenas," she suggested, mindlessly tapping her fingers against the golden insignia.

"Should we really do that?" Zuko asked quietly, wondering if it would look suspicious to anyone.

Toph jumped in again. "Of course! What are we going to say, 'Sorry, the Fire Lord can't compete today, he has a rock in his chi.'" She mocked, causing the lot of them to grin or let out a few chuckles. "Sokka," Zuko commanded, "go find something wrong with the arenas, and then fix it."

"But—" Sokka protested.

"I'll help," Toph offered.

"No, I want Sokka to do it. He's been practically running the whole operation." Zuko stated, knowing exactly how to flatter Sokka into getting what he wanted without making it seem like a compliment.

"Fine," Sokka sighed. "But I'm not staying out there the whole time. I had to miss lunch yesterday. It was horrible!"

"Yeah, whatever, Snoozles," Toph muttered. Zuko noticed she looked decidedly unhappy about this arrangement.

"What about Zuko's unconscious bending?" Asuno asked softly, causing everyone to turn in his direction. "It's very noticeable. Everyone expects it. Not to mention the flame curtain in the throne room."

There was a slight pause. "Oooh ooh! I know!" Sokka yelled excitedly as Katara smacked her forehead. Sokka was wearing his 'idea guy' face. "Aang can follow him around and do his firebending for him!" Everyone just stared at him. "What?" he asked, looking injured.

"Sokka," Katara began patronizingly.

"Actually it's not a bad idea!" Iroh exclaimed genially. "No one will suspect a thing! Aang is a regular fixture in Zuko's routine as of late!"

"I guess he does have a point there. . ." Aang mused.

"I'll only need you at certain times. I promise I won't hold you up to long," Zuko offered. "It's only for a few days anyway."

"Alright," Aang decided. "It seems like a good plan to me."

Iroh stretched and yawned. "I'm going to go lie down," he told them. "I have already eaten my allotted fruit, though I suggest the rest of you go and eat some dinner and then retire for the night. You all look quite tired." The room emptied quickly after that until only Katara was left. "I'll send someone to get you supper," she said, untucking her feet and sliding off of the bed tiredly. "I'll be back in the morning to check on you."

"Thank you," he mumbled, too exhausted to say much more. He dozed peacefully until his page, Genji brought dinner. He thanked him before remembering there was something he needed to check on.

"Genji?" he called after the boy. He came running back, bowing low and listening attentively. "Could you find Master Lochin and ask him to bring the garments Katara asked him to make? I think I might want to make some adjustments to whatever Katara designed. . ."

- - -

After a brief visit form Katara (who Zuko suspected was trying to be alone with him as little as possible), breakfast with Aang and his nobles (Aang had only had to raise the candle flames once), a few minor meetings, and mountains of paperwork, Zuko was inspecting the uniforms one Master Lochin had made for him and Katara before it was time to greet the Bei Fongs.

Lochin was a grandfatherly old man with a serene disposition that was unflappable. Zuko usually had his clothing made by him because he was never fazed by his demands or his simplistic taste. Katara, apparently, had been directed to him by Asuno and had made a few rough sketches for their tournament clothes.

Zuko grinned when he saw his. Crafted out of a durable, slightly metallic fabric that was such a dark shade of purple it appeared almost black, his uniform consisted of the type of loose pants he favored during training and a high-collared vest trimmed in gold. Katara had put in a request for a new pair of black boots, as well as the creation of a shorter open vest that he could wear if he preferred.

Katara had designed her own garments as well, but with not as much care. Zuko had asked for certain adjustments to be made the night before and was satisfied with the results, even if Katara probably wouldn't be. The outfit she designed for herself had not differed much from his own (much to his displeasure), except for being a more vibrant shade of purple. Zuko had told Lochin to make it more feminine. The garments now looked nothing like they had the night before and Zuko couldn't help but grin smugly.

The garment master had eliminated the high waistband so that the knee-length pants would sit directly on her hips, tied with a golden sash. He had also added more material to the legs so that they were wide enough to simulate a skirt if she stood still. Lochin had cut her a new top that was both functional and formfitting though it fastened in the back. The neckline had been lowered on Zuko's orders, and gold edging added to match his. Master Lochin also produced enough extra uniforms that they could be washed or replaced in case of damage. Two outer robes had also been fashioned, both in their designated shade of purple, with the symbol of the Water Tribe and Fire Nation intertwined emblazoned in gold thread on the back.

Zuko was very happy with the results. He had been half-frightened Katara would choose a girly shade of purple just to spite him. She still hadn't responded properly to any of his advances, and he was beginning to wonder if he had miscalculated. Deep down, however, he knew she had feelings for him, and he wouldn't rest until she showed them to him.

He thanked Master Lochin, sent him off with a suggestion to outfit Iroh and Toph for the tournament, and put away his own garments. He stretched and yawned, before picking up Katara's uniform and making his way toward her room.

- - -

Zuko was passing through the guest wing when he heard voices coming from a nearby suite. He recognized Toph's voice, but was unable to identify the woman she was speaking with. "Do you know where this came from?" Toph asked quietly.

"No," the woman replied, her voice muffled and hoarse. "The messenger was gone when my girl turned to ask him."

"You know what this could mean, right?"

"Don't worry, you can depend on me."

"Just go make sure he doesn't screw this up, alright?"

"He won't," the woman laughed. "That's why I'm here. The job'll get done."

"Thanks. We don't have all day, get going!" Toph commanded sternly, her voice sounding strained.

Zuko was slightly puzzled. Toph didn't know many people he didn't, and he wasn't sure what to think. Her door was open, so he walked in and peeked around a corner to see Toph standing, her feet apart, facing the fire. Her fists were clenched and she was shaking. _What, by Agni? _Zuko thought warily. Then he saw the paper burning in the fire in front of her. He opened his mouth to say something to her, but Toph beat him to it.

"I'm fine, Firefly. It's nothing important." She turned away, running the sleeve of her plain kimono over her eyes roughly. As she did this Zuko thought he heard her mutter, "At least not yet," under her breath.

"What's going on?" Zuko fairly demanded when the petite girl turned back around and he caught sight of the red tear-stains on her cheeks.

"I said it was nothing important!" she snapped angrily. Toph closed her eyes and forced herself to calm down. "It's just a family matter, Zuko."

Zuko eyed her with concern. He honestly didn't know what to do with the suddenly vulnerable and dejected earthbender. "Toph," he said uncertainly, "I'm sorry they have to be here."

"It's not your fault they happen to own half of the Earth Kingdom. Just, please don't do anything stupid on my behalf," she said half-heartedly. "I'm already stupid enough for the both of us."

Zuko cautiously walked over to her and slowly put his arms around her. He had never been good with crying girls, but this action seemed appropriate. She hugged him back fiercely and mumbled, "You're a better friend than you think, Firefly. I'm glad you weren't as angry a jerk as Sokka once hinted." She pulled away and smiled up at him. "The world wouldn't have survived our fight."

"I would have won," Zuko told her, grinning.

"Sure you would have," Toph said sarcastically, rolling her eyes and releasing him.

"I'm going to go give these Katara," he told her, retrieving the uniforms he had set down earlier. "Go find Aang and get to my throne room." He paused, a thoughtful look in his eye. "I think we should all be on the dais," he murmured. "Unity, equality, and a right scare for your parents."

"Yes! You're the best!" cried Toph, her demeanor brightening almost immediately as she dragged him to the door. Zuko was already a few meters away when she called to him, " Hey Zuko!"

He turned. "_What_, Toph?"

She grinned impishly. "Don't 'hold up' Katara too long, Firefly."

He growled at her and she scurried off, laughing raucously, good spirits apparently restored.

- - -

Zuko raised a hand knocked sharply on Katara's door, grinning slightly to himself. "Katara?" he called. "It's me. Can I come in?"

The door flew open abruptly to reveal a very frustrated looked Katara. "What?" she snapped.

Zuko amber eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Did I interrupt something?" He was suddenly struck by an incredibly unpleasant thought which had his eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Is somebody else in there with you?" he demanded, brushing past her and shoving the door open.

She huffed and closed the door behind him. "Yes," she said sarcastically, "I just had two wealthy fire nation nobles in here with me doing unspeakable acts, but they were forced to make a hasty exit out the back when you decided to interrupt." Zuko fixed her with a glare that almost rivaled her own.

"That's not amusing. Don't force me to post guards outside your room, Katara," he threatened, only half-joking. "Well," he inquired hastily when her eyes flashed dangerously, "What really has you so uptight?" 

She sighed turned to the bed. "Nothing, I just overslept and am having issues with my hair and the clothes I picked out to meet the Bei Fongs in."

"I'll help if you try these on," Zuko offered with a smirk, holding the uniforms out.

"Oh, Zuko, they're gorgeous!" she gushed, turning over one of the purple and gold sleeves in her hands. Then her eyes narrowed as she unfolded one of the redesigned tops out for closer inspection. "What did you do to them?" she cried.

He let out a bark of satisfied laughter. "Just go try them on," he told her.

He could hear her grumbling as she pulled the clothes on behind a screen. He made his way over to her bed and suppressed the of memory of her sprawled across the crimson sheets. She had a beautiful dress laid out, and different hairpieces were tossed on the bed. Zuko eyed the pieces, immediately determining which ones he considered too gaudy and tossing them carelessly in a separate pile. "Alright," Katara said from behind the screen. "I need help."

Zuko's heart skipped a beat, he had almost forgotten that she wouldn't be able to fasten the shirt without his help. She came around the screen, part of the collar in her teeth, hair in her face, and hands grasping blindly at catches she couldn't reach behind her back. Zuko quickly turned her around and began to fasten them for her.

He went slowly on purpose, his fingertips brushing against her back. Sometimes he hit skin and other times the white wrappings she wore underneath. Either way, they both were breathing faster within moments. He smoothed her hair back and said softly, "Katara."

"Yes?" she answered in a relatively strong voice.

He finished, planting a light kiss on the middle of her neck, causing her to shiver and snap, "Don't!" at him. He spun her around to get the full effect. She filled it out perfectly, just like he had known she would. She looked down bemusedly at herself, and murmured, "I didn't want it cut that low." Zuko merely grinned.

"You didn't, but I did." His grin only widened when she arched a brow at him. "You know, for strategy reasons. It's a great diversion tactic, the other male benders will be too busy looking at your, erm, assets to pay much attention to anything else." Katara flushed but walked over to the mirror, examining her reflection critically.

"Are you sure _you_ won't be too distracted?" she asked flippantly.

"I think I'll manage," he responded wryly, though he thought she made a valid point. "You really do look stunning," he complimented, meeting her gaze in the mirror.

"Uh. . ." she blushed, breaking eye contact to look at reflection once more. "Thank you?"

Zuko wondered if Katara also felt as if the temperature in the room had become unbearably warm. He really wished she would stop running her hands over the shirt like that, it was making him sweat. Then something very primal inside of him snapped. "I've made a decision," he said, his voice lower and rougher than usual.

"Hmmm?" Katara said distractedly. It was obvious she was still worried about the Bei Fongs visit. She flicked her hair again while tugging aimlessly on the hem of her shirt, and Zuko couldn't help himself. With a swift movement, he had pulled her flush against him.

"It's not good enough anymore," he told her, eyes smoldering. A blush rose steadily to her cheeks, and her eyes widened. "Zuko, you promised…" she began to protest but he cut her off by swiftly backing her into the wall, caging her with his arms.

"No, I told you that I would stop pursing this only until I decided it wasn't good enough anymore." Zuko gripped her hip firmly in one hand. "I'm tired of worrying about duty and public opinion. We should have the right to do what we want every once and a while, just like anyone else." He stepped in even closer so that she was forced to tilt her head upwards to maintain eye contact. "And," he continued almost lazily, "unless I'm much mistaken, this is something you want as much as I do."

He bridged the distance between them slowly, tilting his head and giving her ample time to pull away in case he had misread her completely. He was pleasantly surprised when his name came out as a breathless whisper and her hand suddenly snaked up to encircle his neck.

Their eyes closed in unison. Zuko's blood was racing as he felt Katara's breath caress his lips. Finally, he was about have what he'd wanted for so long—

"Katara!" Sokka yelled through the door. Frustrated Zuko let out a muffled curse and Katara slapped a hand over his mouth, her eyes wide. "Katara, the Bei Fongs are here! You have to go down to the throne room!"

The spell was broken. Katara hurriedly grabbed her hair and turned her back to him. Zuko began to unfasten the back of the uniform as fast as possible. "I'll be there in a minute, Sokka!" she called as she grabbed the dress and rushed behind the screen again.

"Do you want me to wait?" Sokka yelled once more through the door. Zuko held his breath. This could prove problematic. . .

"No! It's fine!" Katara assured, slightly breathless, from behind the screen.

"Alright, I'm going to look for Zuko, he wasn't in his study…" Sokka trailed off. Zuko could hear his footsteps fading quickly down the hallway. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"That was close," he murmured, and feeling the need to do something, Zuko picked up the pile of uniforms off of the nightstand and went to go place them in the wardrobe when something fluttered to the floor. It appeared to be a piece of paper. Curious, he set the uniforms down once more and picked it up. He turned it over in his fingers. It was sealed with a wax seal that bore the rather grotesque emblem of a severed hand holding an eyeball. Bringing it nearer, he frowned when he realized there was something splattered on it that looked suspiciously like…

His gaze snapped up as Katara came out from behind the screen, holding the sash of her dress behind her back. Her shocked gaze fell on the object in her hands and she darted forward, her dress falling open to reveal the under robe, sash fluttering forgotten to the floor, as she made to snatch the letter from his grip. "Zuko! Don't―" she started, but trailed away as he held the letter out of reach.

"What is this?" he hissed, menacingly.

"It's nothing," she said meekly as he flipped the note open, his eyes widening even further as his eyes took in the message.

"This is nothing!" Zuko roared, turning around to face her. "KATARA!" He thundered, and Katara was certain that if he had been able to bend, her entire bedroom would have been nothing but ash.

_Damn it all to hell_, she swore silently to herself. _I **really** didn't want him to find that…_


	5. Meet the Parents or The End of Round One

A/N: (BlackVelvetBand shuffles on, head bowed in apology). Hey guys! Both Conterra-san and I are terribly sorry for the incredibly long wait you have endured. One that spanned months. We will not promise, so you can't shove it down our throats later, but we will try out absolute hardest that the updates never take this long again. However, we have good news; the chapter is incredibly long! As Conterra is off at debate camp trying to hide herself away from those wanting to ruin Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows for her before she even reads it, I am posting this myself after just having read the book. It is incredibly hard to turn from the Potterverse to Avatar, but I tried valiantly and I hope you will reward my efforts with a review.

* * *

**Chapter Five  
****Meet the Parents  
****or  
****End of Round One**

_I can't believe I did this. _

_There's something wrong with me. I don't _think_ so, I _know_ so. _

_My heart is just not working with my brain, here. _

_If Zuko asks to come into your room, you say no, Katara. If he asks you something that could be potentially problematic, you tell him no, you won't do it. If he asks to be with you for any length of time when you will be alone outside of training, you say _no

_I really need to pay more attention. _

_And these damn uniform/costume things! I can't _believe_ he had the nerve to _butcher_ mine like this! Typical Zuko. _

_And now, Sokka decided to interrupt when I was actually _enjoying_ alone time with said esteemed Fire Lord! What?! Spirits help me! I just admitted it to myself! Never mind, Sokka showed up just in time!_

_Zuko had best not be poking around in my room._

He looks like he's staying out of trouble, thank the spirits. He's even laid out all the other uniforms for me.

_Wait a minute. _

_Wait a_ **minute**.

_What's he looking at?!_

_I hurriedly fix my dress so that I'm at least presentable. He _can't_ read that!_

"Zuko, don't—"

Too late.

- - -

"**KATARA!**" Zuko thundered at the half-dressed waterbender before him, his golden eyes alight with the raging fire his body was currently unable to produce. Even through his haze of fury, fear had begun to settle in his stomach as his shocked brain was finally able to comprehend the full implications of the note.

"You call _this _nothing?!" he hissed, taking a step towards her. "How can you call thinly-veiled threats on your life _nothing_?" Zuko waved the note in front of her face before crumbling it in his fist, asking incredulously, "What did you think it _was_?"

"A love letter?" Katara joked feebly, rolling her eyes when his good eye twitched in barely controlled anger. Zuko grabbed her arm roughly, his other hand holding the slip of paper next to her cheek.

"How can you joke about this? This is serious, Katara!"

Touched by the twinge of fear behind his ireful tone, Katara sighed. She brought her hands up to gently grasp the fist clutching the paper, guiding it downward.

"Zuko, calm down," she said softly. "Don't you think I _know_ that? Contrary to your beliefs, I _do_ take threats on my life seriously." Zuko glanced down at the hand she had yet to unclasp, letting his anger fade with an exhale.

"Were you ever planning on telling me?" he asked, watching as Katara moved her fingers over his clenched fist, prying it open and placidly removing the note. She slowly let go of his hand, bent down, and picked up the discarded sash to her dress. "Well, _were you_?" he demanded more emphatically.

"I hadn't really thought about it," she said defensively. "I haven't had time. Here," she continued, turning around, "make yourself useful." She handed him the sash to tie her dress, holding the outer robe closed in front as Zuko silently wrapped the fabric around her waist. If she didn't know any better, she could have sworn his hands lingered on her waist longer than was necessary. "We don't have time to think about it now, either," she said as she rushed over to the bed, picking up a jewel encrusted hair-clip and practically tripping on her way to the vanity.

"Like hell we don't," Zuko growled, coming to stand behind her while she yanked a brush through her tangled hair. "When did you get it?" he asked, frowning as he watched her twist her hair up into an elegant knot and use the hair clip to pin it in place.

"Sometime last night, it was here after I left you," she said distractedly, lightly dusting her eyelids with some sort of gold color. Zuko's eyes widened in disbelief.

"You stayed here all night _by yourself_ after receiving a death threat?! And you actually _slept_?" He threw his hands up in the air. "What about your safety Katara? You were all alone, defenseless and in the dark, in a room that has a door leading to an open garden!"

Katara threw him a scowl in the mirror as she subtly lined her eyes with black.

"I put a bowl of water by my bed," she said defensively. "Zuko, I'm a master waterbender. I'm not some wilting flower that can be taken so easily by force. I've even gotten the best of _you _sometimes!" Zuko snorted.

"And what would have happened if the water had run out? _Then_ you would have been powerless. They could have taken you _Agni _knows where, tortured you, and _killed_ you, without me ever knowing where you'd gone." He dropped heavily into the chair next to the vanity, rubbing his face with his hands.

"Then tonight I'll leave the door open. That way, if I'm attacked, I can run outside and use the fountain. Would that make you happy?" she inquired petulantly.

"Leave the door open! Why don't you just invite them in for tea as well? That way they won't be thirsty when they carry you off to some dark hole and rape you!"

Zuko began pacing back and forth across the plush carpet. Katara had never seen Zuko this worked up over her safety. Desperately wishing for a way to calm him down before his eye started twitching again, Katara realized that a mention of their pressing engagement in the throne room would at least force him to temporarily drop the subject.

"Zuko, I'm ready and everybody's waiting for us in the throne room. What would it look like if you weren't there to greet the Bei Fongs on time? We were informed of their arrival days ago."

He stopped mid-pace and gaped at her. "How can you even _think _about sucking up to some pompous Earth Kingdom merchants when your life is in danger?" He resumed pacing, his fists clenched at his sides. "We're not going anywhere until I'm positive that you aren't going to be assassinated or kidnapped within the next twenty-four hours."

"_Zuko_," she said beseechingly. "Logically, no one is going to kidnap me while I'm standing next to the _Fire Lord_, under the watchful eye of his private guard. Not to mention the fact that _I'm armed _with my water flask, flanked by the _Avatar _and the infamous _Blind Bandit_." She inwardly sighed in relief as she saw the tension ease slightly from Zuko's shoulders.

"That covers today," he replied tightly. "I'll just keep you with me. You can stand next to Aang during the court session and sit in on the council meeting as well. I'll send Haikru to cover for me in the trade agreements; he's good at making up believable stories." Katara rolled her eyes, beyond frustrated at Zuko's insistence that she needed protection. He turned to face her, eyes narrowing. "What about tonight?"

Katara bristled, knowing she wasn't going to like whatever came next. "What _about_ tonight?" she said, her voice rising slightly in warning. Zuko shot her a look that resembled the one Suki used to give Sokka when she ha thought he was being stupid.

"You can't stay in your room alone. You'll just have to sleep with me," he stated simply.

"_Excuse me_?" she questioned with a derisive laugh. Zuko's cheeks flushed red enough to rival his shirt.

"I didn't mean it like _that_!" he said, and she was pleased to note that his voice was slightly higher than before. "We can share the bed, it's large enough."

Katara blushed enough to match Zuko as the image of the two of them intertwined in Zuko's bed sprang unbidden into her imagination. "Zuko," Katara began warningly.

"_**What!**_" Zuko interjected quickly. "Is it so horrible to want to make sure that you're safe and sound? That I want to _protect_ you?" Katara arched an eyebrow dangerously.

"Right now it seems to me that I need more protection from **you** than potential assassins," she quipped triumphantly. But her confidence faded fast as she saw pain flash across his face.

"Do you seriously think I'm going to hurt you?" he asked, gaze piercing. Uncomfortable under his intense stare, Katara broke eye contact, her shoulders slumped.

"Not in the way _they_ want to," she sighed gesturing to the letter. "But what am I supposed to think Zuko? We've got this _thing_ hanging in between us that you're **determined** to act upon, despite the fact that together we have absolutely no possible future _but _friendship."

Zuko dropped his gaze as guilt washed over him, sickening in its reality. She thought that he would use her and then leave her, acting as if there had never been anything more than a platonic relationship between them?

But wasn't that exactly what he had originally been planning to do? He wondered when that plan had changed; at what exact moment he had decided he wanted _more_. Hope chased guilt away as her words took hold in his hazy brain. It sounded as if…maybe _she_ wanted the same thing he now did.

Filled with a new determination, he closed the space between them. "Katara," he said gently, tilting her chin upwards so that she would meet his eyes. "A very wise person once told me that no one can influence our futures but ourselves."

She smiled softly. "Iroh?" she asked, her voice tinged with amusement.

"Who else spouts out stuff like that on a daily basis?" he returned. "_Now_, what are we―" he was cut off by repetitive loud banging. Zuko instinctively pulled Katara into his chest as adrenaline filled his body.

_They were breaking down the door…_

"KATARA!" Sokka's voice thundered. "Come_ on_, the Bei Fong's are supposed to be here any minute, and we _still_ haven't found Zuko!"

Katara and Zuko let out a combined sigh of relief. For once, Zuko was glad it that it was only Sokka.

"I'm ready!" Katara called, still in the protective circle of his arms. Zuko was glad that she hadn't drawn away. Admittedly, holding her like this was…nice. "Go ahead, Sokka, I'll be right behind you. I'm going to stop by the fountain out back here and refill my water flask. I'll go around the other way and see if I run into Zuko."

"Okay," Sokka called from behind the door. "But hurry up! Toph's getting _really_ agitated and a pissed-off Toph in a stone throne room is probably **not** a good thing." Sokka's footsteps retreated for a second time.

"Come on," Katara whispered. She went to step out of his embrace, but he held firm. Her breath caught in her throat when he captured her eyes with his own and brought one hand up to tenderly stroke her cheek. She shook her head, ending the spell, but she still didn't want to pull away. "We. . .we really need to leave. . .Zuko. . ." He sighed and nodded, releasing her. She whirled to retrieve her water flask from its perch next to the mirror. "We should head out the back," she continued, still whispering. "That way I can claim I met up with you on the way."

"Why are we whispering?" Zuko asked quizzically as he allowed Katara to grab his hand and tug him out the back door. He couldn't help but grin at the action. There had a time when they wouldn't even have touched each other if they could've helped it. Now, grabbing his hand seemed almost like second nature to Katara.

"You know," Katara said thoughtfully as they made their way through the open-aired corridors. "If I didn't know you better, I'd think that this whole death threat thing was just an elaborate plot you cooked up to get me into bed with you."

He shot her a sideways glance. "If it was," he asked slyly, "would it have worked?" Katara laughed outright and shot him a coy look over a shoulder.

"Only in your dreams, Fire-boy."

_You have __**no**__ idea_, Zuko thought.

- - -

Zuko was slouched authoritatively on the dais, drumming his fingers impatiently on the gilded armrest of his throne. On his left, Katara shifted her weight, trying to get more comfortable. Zuko glanced up at her with a bored expression and she shot him an encouraging smile. On his right, Aang was attempting to both alleviate his own boredom and calm down the _very _agitated Toph by playing some sort of game that involved him drawing pictures on her back while she tried to guess what it was he was drawing.

The Bei Fongs were late. _Very _late.

Zuko and Katara had arrived in the throne room ten minutes after the Bei Fong's expected arrival. They were ushered in by a slightly frazzled-looking Haikru, who had been searching for Zuko everywhere. Upon seeing the Fire-Lord enter through his own personal entrance followed by Katara, the aide had merely sent a suggestive smile and a wink in their direction before proclaiming loudly that both Zuko and Katara had arrived. Zuko told the others that he had fallen asleep in a corner of a library, where he had been reviewing maps of pre-war trade routes in the hopes of finding a positive alternative to opening up the island.

Almost an hour later, the Bei Fongs had yet to arrive and they were all getting restless. Zuko was about to call the entire thing off and have a messenger greet them with his apologies, when Haikru came rushing in the side door.

"They're here," he panted, pausing at the foot of the dais. "They claim their ship had some minor problems that caused a slight delay."

Toph snorted at this. "So they _say_," she snarled, and all of her friends looked at her curiously, wondering what she meant. However, seeing how her agitation had only seemed to increase with this announcement, none of them wanted to ask.

"Might I remind you, my Lord, that the Bei Fongs are extremely powerful," Haikru said, warningly. "Try not to punish them for the inconvenience too much. You have much more productive things you could be doing with your time." With the last statement, he glanced pointedly in Katara's direction earning him a heated glare from Zuko, before he moved to take his usual place near the wall.

"Aang," Zuko said, straightening up slightly in his massive throne, but not too much. Katara had to give the man credit for knowing exactly how to look powerful and displeased at the same time. "Raise the flame curtain, please."

The Avatar, who had been gazing concernedly at Toph, jumped slightly and raised the flame curtain with a tad too much exuberance, causing it to jump twenty feet into the air.

"Not that high!" Zuko commanded, thoroughly enjoying Aang's blush. "Keep it down to a low simmer for the time being." The flames lowered until they were about a foot off of the ground, just before a loud knock was heard.

The gilded doors opened and a herald entered, bowing low before the dais. "Fire Lord and esteemed friends, may I present to you Lord and Lady Bei Fong, and their escort, Captain Suki of the renowned Kyoshi warriors!"

At the last statement, broad grins and a happy gasp of surprise were exchanged by the friends; none of them had known that Suki was coming.

The herald bowed again and moved to the side as Lao Bei Fong and his wife entered, decked out in elaborate kimonos of the finest silk and accompanied by an entourage of at least twenty people. At the rear of this pompous parade was Suki, decked out in her usual warrior regalia and full face paint. She smiled and winked at the four friends on the dais before falling back to watch the festivities. The Bei Fongs halted a few feet from the flame curtain.

"Fire Lord Zuko," Lao began. "We would like to extend our humble apologies for our tardiness. As I am sure you have been informed, we had issues with our ship and were delayed. I hope that you will not hold this against us," he continued in a voice dripping with apology, bowing low.

Zuko arched an eyebrow.

"Of course, Lord Bei Fong," he said smoothly. "I would never presume that the reason for your lateness was nothing more than an attempt to assert your own self-importance by keeping the Fire-Lord waiting." Both man and wife were unable to hide their shock at this silken insult. Zuko continued to stare down at them imperiously. "Nevertheless, I welcome you to the Fire Nation. Rooms have been prepared which you may use for the duration of your stay here."

"The Fire Lord is _most _generous," Lao said, bowing once more. "In order to express our humble gratitude, we have brought a small gift for his Majesty. We also received news concerning the presence of his respected friends and brought gifts for them as well…" he trailed off. "However," he said delicately. "While we have often heard the names of these honored persons, we have never been properly introduced." Zuko's eyes narrowed slightly.

"That is a shame," he said in an unfeeling tone. "Allow me to introduce Master Katara of the Water Tribe." Katara bowed slightly, feeling a little awkward. "She is held in great esteem, having fought and worked long and hard to bring peace. This is Avatar Aang, whom I'm sure you met once or twice." Aang nodded politely. "These two are close friends of your daughter," Zuko smirked, "_Master _Toph Bei Fong."

Lady Bei Fong's eyes widened. "Toph, darling!" she said, reaching out her arms as if she expected her daughter to come leaping through the curtain of flames and throw herself into them. "It's been _so long_ since we've seen you. You look well, and you seem to be keeping good company."

"Hello, mother," Toph said stiffly.

Her mother's smile faded and she slowly lowered her arms. "We brought dresses for you and your friend. I thought you could wear them to the ball I heard was being held after the primary rounds."

"Ball?!" hissed Toph, looking at Zuko. He shrugged guiltily, but wasn't able to get out his line of defense. Lady Bei Fong had turned her attention to Katara.

The noblewoman smiled at the waterbender, but continued to speak to her disgruntled daughter.

"_This_ must be the same Katara you wrote home about. I'm _so _glad that you've found a dedicated aide to help you get around." She laughed slightly. "We can't have you taking up too much of the Avatar's time."

In the back, Suki rolled her eyes as her friends attempted valiantly to control their anger, but to no avail. Aang's arm went protectively but unnoticeably around Toph's waist as he subconsciously made the flames rise at least another foot. Katara stiffened, her hand drifting to her water pouch as Zuko straightened abruptly in his throne. Toph's anger, however, was a tad bit more noticeable. Zuko and Katara exchanged a worried look as the stones of the throne room began to vibrate. Zuko placed a hand on Toph's arm and whispered urgently to her as Aang gently rubbed her back.

"Katara is my friend, mother," Toph ground out, blatantly ignoring Zuko, but the vibrating stopped nonetheless. "She is **NOT** my aide. I do not _need_ an aide; I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

Lady Bei Fong sighed, looking confusedly from Zuko to Toph. "Well, if you _are_ capable of taking care of yourself," she said, as though she sincerely doubted it, "You should take _better _care of yourself. Honestly, Toph, you could at least make more of an effort. Standing in on a court ceremony dressed like _that_?" Her mother shook her head demurely. "I did raise her better, Fire Lord."

"I see nothing wrong with what your daughter is wearing, Lady Bei Fong," he said sourly, no longer able to contain his dislike. Aang squeezed Toph's hand soothingly and Zuko kept his restraining hold on Toph's other arm.

"My wife apologizes if she has offended the Fire Lord," Lao said swiftly. He began to blubber more apologies, but was prevented from doing so as the door to the throne room opened with a swift bang. The nobleman cut off his apparently well-rehearsed tirade to glare accusingly at the disturbance. His eyes widened as Sokka strode forward swiftly, brushing past the Bei Fong's entourage, purposefully picking a path directly between the couple, giving him an excuse to push them roughly out of his way.

"Zu—" Sokka began, then corrected himself. "Fire Lord Zuko, I've just received some interesting news from a recently docked Water Tribe ship. It seems that several Earth Kingdom vessels have been spotted heading directly toward the island currently under dispute in the trade negotiations."

"**WHAT**!" Zuko exploded, rising to his feet in anger, minus the usual accompanying spurt of flames.

Toph elbowed Aang sharply in the gut, almost causing him to double over. "He's angry, Twinkle Toes!" she hissed under her breath.

"Oh!" Aang gasped, and he quickly raised the flames higher than any previous attempt before slowly lowering them back to a jumping simmer. Zuko came to stand before Sokka, but his gaze was fixed on the Bei Fongs.

"Did the ships have any _distinct markings_ on them?" he asked, his tone clearly indicating exactly who he thought the ships belonged to.

Sokka smirked. "No," he said. "But so you know, Fire Lord, despite the Water Tribe's desire to open the island for trade, we have no wish to do it by _dishonest_ means. We trust that the Fire Nation is of the same mind as the Water Tribe in that we both wish to maintain peace _honorably_."

Zuko nodded curtly. "_Thank you_, Ambassador. If you would remain for a few moments, I would like to discuss this further with you." Sokka nodded and stepped slightly off to the side, glad of an excuse to stay. He kept his eyes trained on the dais; Toph still looked nearly ready to snap, and, if she _did_ open up a can of Blind Bandit whoop-ass on her parents, Sokka didn't want to miss it.

"We assure you that we have _nothing_ to do with this," Lao stated, bowing once more. Zuko turned on him with narrowed eyes.

"You should pray to _Agni_ that that's true," he said menacingly. "_Good day_, Lord and Lady Bei Fong." The couple bowed and turned to leave, looking slightly affronted.

"Come, Toph," Lao commanded. "Suki, bring that red box to our rooms."

Sokka whipped his head around to see Suki at the back of the column. She was staring dumbfounded at the Bei Fongs, a blush of anger visible on her face, even through the Kyoshi warrior make-up. She opened her mouth to speak, but Toph beat her to it.

"_Who do you think you are_?" she yelled. "Ordering Suki and me around as if we were your _servants_!"

Lao turned and faced his daughter, anger flashing in his eyes. "I thought you would have outgrown this childish impudence by now, Toph," he said darkly. "You are our daughter and therefore your obedience is expected. Suki is our hired protective escort for the journey to the Fire Nation."

"**How dare you**!" Toph yelled, shaking off both Aang and Zuko to take strides towards her parents, but was thankfully obstructed by the flame curtain. "I am _not_ your helpless blind girl anymore, I haven't lived with you for _years_, and I am fully capable of **running my own life**. Furthermore, Suki and I are acknowledged **war heroes** deserving of _your_ respect!"

Lao snorted. "How would you know if you helped to save the world? You wouldn't be able to _see_ if you made any difference."

Toph started to run off of the dais, but Zuko reached out to catch her. She whipped around to stare blindly at him, causing her braid to fly into full view. Her parent's eyes widened as they took in the golden flame insignia at the end of her braid, identical to the one Zuko was wearing, glittering in the light of the flames. Unaware of this, Zuko shot Toph a look that clearly said 'let me handle this,' and, even though she could not see this, his firm but comforting grip on her arm conveyed it. She nodded briefly in understanding.

"Lord and Lady Bei Fong," Zuko said, gently pulling Toph back to her place beside him, his voice deadly calm as the flames in front of him rose menacingly. "I would appreciate it if you would not express such degrading opinions in my throne room. Your daughter is one of my closest advisors and friends. As you are in _my_ nation underneath _my_ jurisdiction, and your daughter is held in _my_ high esteem, it would appear to me that you should be showing the proper respect for one _above your station_ in her presence."

He paused, never dropping their gazes. "As for Captain Suki," he continued. "If she was indeed hired as your protective escort until you reached the Fire Nation safely, then she has fulfilled the terms of her contract most admirably and should be compensated promptly for her efforts and then left to do as she wishes."

Zuko waited as Lao reluctantly removed a bag of money from his belt and handed it to Suki, who accepted the bag with a grin. "Again, I bid you good day," he dismissed them, his gaze following them until he and his friends were once again alone behind the closed doors of the throne room.

Aang let the flame curtain drop. "Well, that was interesting," he laughed nervously.

"Sorry you had to see that, everyone," Toph sighed apologetically. "And thanks for giving them what they deserved, Firefly."

"It _was_ artfully done," Suki said, making her way to the front of the hall. "Gods, Toph, your mother is a _bitch_," the warrior commented before flinging her arms around the petite earthbender's neck. "I missed all of you so much!" she exclaimed, hugging them each in turn. "I was sent ahead on a smaller ship to unload your many gifts and arrange transport for 'the entourage.' I came here earlier with a few of my girls, but you were all nowhere to be seen. How _do_ you navigate this place, it's so confusing?"

"Tell me about it," Katara exclaimed, holding the warrior at arms length. "It's not fair! You keep getting prettier when I'm not looking, there's no way I could even hope to keep up."

Although Zuko begged to differ, it appeared that Sokka wholeheartedly agreed. He had been frozen in awe ever since he had first caught sight of the warrior and was currently watching the Captain's every move with drool slipping unnoticed out of the corner of his mouth. Oblivious to this attention, Suki continued her happy reunion with Katara.

"We have so much to catch up on!" she was saying as Katara nodded enthusiastically.

"You can stay in my room tonight!" Katara said with a sudden inspiration. "You can tell me all about what you've been doing, _besides keeping your fans sharp_." She cast a meaningful look at Zuko who scowled. "I'll have an extra mattress brought in."

"Sure!" Suki agreed, hugging Katara one more time before moving on to her brother. "SOKKA!" she cried, jumping off of the dais. Sokka caught her deftly, swinging her around before bringing her to land softly on her feet. "I've missed you, tough guy," Suki said gently.

"I-I've missed you too," he stammered, so overcome by Suki's presence that stringing together coherent thoughts was proving to be a problem.

They stared at each other for a few moments, lost in each other's gaze. Katara smiled knowingly, but Toph muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, "Get a room!"

"Come on," Suki finally said, breaking the silence. "You can show me around this maze." Sokka beamed almost comically wide, nodding exuberantly and offering Suki his arm, which she accepted gracefully. Zuko began to protest, but Katara clapped a hand over his mouth.

"Oh, leave them alone," she sighed dreamily, ignoring Zuko as he angrily shrugged her off. "Can't you tell that they're still in love?" She glanced at the fuming Fire Lord. "Besides, don't you have better things to do…like, oh, I don't a country?" she teased.

Zuko swore silently. He could think of _plenty _of other things to do, but all of them had nothingto do with his country and _everything_ to do with Katara.

- - -

The opening day of the preliminary qualifying matches dawned warm and sunny. Zuko and Katara enjoyed a leisurely breakfast before dressing and heading down to the main arena where their match was to be held. Even though their crowd was expected to be one of the largest ones of the qualifying rounds, due mainly to the popularity of both Zuko and Katara, the two benders were surprised to discover that neither of them was nervous in the slightest. Zuko was wholly confident that they would make it through to the main body of the tournament without question.

They sat together in the small room from which competitors were supposed to enter the arena, both clad in their purple robes. Katara could hear the muffled roar of the crowd, the slightly annoying voice of the announcer, and Zuko's deep and even breathing beside her, filling up the silence of the chamber. It was not long before a tournament official entered the enclosure to inform them that their match was about to begin. They rose somewhat unsteadily, Zuko rolling his neck to loosen slightly tense muscles while Katara stretched her arms above her head lazily.

"Are you ready?" Zuko asked her with his trademark smirk.

Katara would never admit it, but she found that confident smirk _incredibly_ attractive.

She grinned back at him. "We should be asking our opponents that. I feel almost bad for them because everyone knows they're going to lose," she said a bit mournfully, but then she shrugged indifferently. "Come on, I think we're about to be announced."

Katara started to head towards the door but was stopped as Zuko grasped her arm.

"What?" she asked, turning back to face him, eyes wide with confusion. Zuko merely pulled her closer, and leaned down to place a soft kiss on her cheek.

"Good luck," he whispered gravely.

"Oh," she said, caught off guard. Zuko was pleasantly surprised when she stood up on tiptoe to return the gesture, a distinctly reddish hue to her dark complexion. "Good luck to you, too." And with that, they walked into the bright sunlight of the arena amid bellowing cheers from the crowd.

Katara couldn't help but smirk as the crowd let out an audible gasp at their outfits. Whispers, loud questions, and catcalls ran through the stadium as Katara and Zuko simultaneously removed their robes and handed them to the waiting arena attendants. When their real uniforms were revealed, the catcalls and whistles intensified from both genders, causing the pair to blush. They quickly took their places across from the opposing team, which consisted of a large male earthbender and a slender female firebender.

"Contestants, take your positions!" the announcer's voice boomed over the crowd. "Please remember, ladies and gentlemen, that these preliminary matches are ended at the fifteen minute mark. The winning team is the first to incapacitate the other team by the time the gong sounds. Good luck to all competitors!" The sound of the starting gong echoed across the arena, followed by a chorus of rousing cheers from the audience.

Katara summoned a water whip from the foot-wide trench of water which ran around the entire circumference of the arena, but didn't move further. Beside her, Zuko glanced at his water bending partner, but remained in a defensive stance.

The rival firebender was first to attack. Deciding she didn't want to try her luck with the Fire Lord, she shot a spurt of flame in Katara's direction, which the master bender easily blocked with her whip. The steam vanished, coalescing into solid water once more, which Katara flicked at the firebender, lashing her across the gut. Zuko took advantage of her distraction to kick a large spurt of flame towards the earthbender's face, causing him to hurriedly dodge.

"Switch!" Zuko called to Katara, and she ducked his spurt of flame gracefully while simultaneously pushing a wave of water toward the earthbender.

The bender kicked up a large boulder and thrust it towards her head, but Katara dodged it effortlessly. She spun quickly on her heel to send a barrage of ice daggers into her adversary's shoulder. Meanwhile, the female firebender tried to rush at Zuko, but he grabbed her wrist and spun under her arm. Using a move he had borrowed from Ty Lee long ago, he elbowed a chi point and threw her over his shoulder. She was out cold before she even hit the ground.

The earthbender was pushing Katara towards the middle of the ring, using basic bending techniques that Toph had probably mastered when she had barely been able to walk. Of course, Katara wasn't really being pushed back; she was only following their strategy for the early rounds. If one of them was able to take out their opponent, Katara would run interference for Zuko while he geared up for a rather large finishing blow.

They felt that with the weaker benders they could risk attacking from opposite sides, even though they would be in each other's line of fire. Katara had joked that they had fought each other enough that they would have no trouble deflecting or dodging the other's errant blows. They'd revise this strategy when they started going up against the more powerful benders.

They reached the center of the arena and Katara began to summon a water octopus around her. The intimidated earthbender kicked up a large boulder and flung it at Katara's face; she didn't even flinch as she destroyed it effortlessly with two swipes of tentacle.

The bender kicked up a block of earth. Katara cringed at the sound it made as it was much louder than usual. The bender sent the block flying towards Katara who was forced to spin out of her octopus, the water changing to a large wave which she sent washing over the earthbender. Zuko skirted the residue of this attack as he positioned himself behind the bender. He aimed a large jet of flames at the now soaking earthbender who, finally noticing that Zuko wasn't in his line of sight, wildly sent boulders up, one of which hit the flames dead on.

Katara grinned as she curled water, snake-like, around her and the remainder of the flames shot towards her. She gathered her tentacles and carefully aimed. A jet of steam was deftly wound about the startled earthbender before it was possible to understand what had happened. Katara realized that the match was almost over and swirled the combined elements a bit closer to her opponent.

Her sense of triumph was muted as a panicked scream arose from the audience; a group of kids in the stands had gotten to their feet, pointing at the arena floor. A huge crack in the earth had appeared at the edges of the fog around the panicked earthbender. As he threw up rudimentary and desperate attacks blindly, it continued to grow larger with sickening crunching sounds. Katara gave Zuko an urgent signal to move closer and they set themselves for their final move.

Just as one the boulders flew up into the air above the scared man, the two masters sent jets of their elements at it simultaneously. The opposite forces hit the rock at the same time, shattering it into pieces. The resulting jet of vapor carried the rubble to strike the bender in the back, blasting him away from the growing chasm and knocking him out. The gong echoed through the arena once more, signaling the end of the match.

Flushed with victory, Katara was attempting to skirt the widening rifts in the ground to reach Zuko when the earth below her feet caved in.

Frantically, she flung herself toward what appeared to be the edge of the pit in the damaged arena. She caught the ground in the middle, but the unstable earth folded beneath her weight and she began to slide. She glanced down in horror to see that she was on the edge of a large, circular hole and the caved in earth had fallen so far that all she could see was darkness. She grasped vainly at the side of the fissure, but she was falling…

And then a hand wrapped securely around her forearm. Katara looked up to meet Zuko's panicked gaze with her own. He was laying on his stomach, one hand grasping the edge, the other her arm. He strained to pull her up.

"Katara, hold on!" he panted. "I can't get enough traction!" Katara's arm, slightly damp from sweat and the water she had been bending, slipped slightly in Zuko's grip. The audience was on their feet, screaming. She glanced despairingly down into the shimmering blackness.

Wait. _Shimmering?_

Zuko lost a little ground and she fell slightly further. "I NEED HELP!" he bellowed and the previously stupefied officials began running towards the distraught firebender.

Dirt fell down onto Katara's face as the earth under Zuko slowly began to crumble. She looked up at the normally inscrutable Fire Lord.

"Zuko," she said quickly. "Do you trust me?"

He met her gaze squarely, eyes burning with worry. "Yes," he said quietly, strain evident in his voice. "Yes."

She looked up at him, trying to say everything she had ever wanted to say― hadn't known she had wanted to say― without words.

"Then let go."

His eyes widened and he shook his head fiercely as the ground gave way a little more.

"Look," she yelled. "There's no use in both of us going down. You said you trust me, didn't you? Now prove it. Let. Me. Go!"

Given no choice (he was damned either way), he did.

"Katara!" he cried, pushing himself into a sitting position just as the arena officials reached him. "Quick," he ordered, nearly hysterical. "Run to the next arena over and get Toph Bei Fong and all of the help you can get! We have to go down there and get her out."

The arena official looked at him with wide, pitying eyes. "Fire Lord, the drop was so far that there is a good possibility that she is—" Zuko reached out and grabbed the man roughly by the scruff of the neck.

"ENOUGH!" he bellowed. "Katara is _not_—" he was cut off as a strange sound, sounding vaguely like the waves of an incoming tide, echoed up from the bottom of the pit, growing louder each second. Zuko dropped the official and ran to the edge as the roar reached deafening levels. Rising slowly but surely at the peak of a wall of water was Katara, somewhat battered, but certainly alive.

The audience began to stamp and yell, clapping and cheering crazily.

The wave crested, washing over Zuko's unshod feet, but he couldn't have cared less as Katara jumped the remaining distance from her collapsing wave into his waiting arms. His hand trembled as it stroked her soaking hair.

"Zuko," she choked, looking up at him, but he merely shook his head. She fell silent and he swiftly picked her up and carried her over to the waiting squad of Water Tribe healers who had come on goodwill from the North Pole to serve as the emergency medical care for the event. The middle-aged women swarmed over her, clucking like hens.

"Treat all of her injuries," Zuko told the lead healer sternly. "Then have her taken to her room and make sure she remains there resting for the remainder of the day. Find the Captain of the Kyoshi warriors. Tell her to never leave Katara's side." The lead healer nodded, knowing from his tone that he was not to be questioned and that something serious was going on here. "Thank you," he said briskly, and he turned to leave the arena.

Before he could move more than a few paces, however, Aang landed his glider directly in the middle of Zuko's path and gently pried Toph's fingers from around his waist.

"Where is she?" he asked his clearly irate friend, gray eyes serious and concerned.

"With the medical team," Zuko replied, gesturing over his shoulder.

"Aren't you going to stay with her?" Toph asked incredulously, noticing by the tremors in the ground that he was ready to leave.

"No," Zuko replied curtly. "Tell her I'll come to see her later. Aang, see to it that this arena is evacuated and closed." He turned on his heel sharply and strode purposefully toward the exit.

Aang just stared at the Fire Lord's retreating back, oblivious to the ruckus around him. "I wonder where he's going?" he asked, scratching his neck in confusion.

"Isn't it obvious?" Toph snorted. "He's going to find out who did this."

- - -

Katara slept the majority of that afternoon. Toph and Suki came to share a rather large dinner with her since she was feeling much better. Afterwards, Suki left to meet Sokka and Toph went to go find Aang, saying that she had promised she would keep him company while he gave Appa some exercise by taking him on a nighttime flight.

When she had bid both of her friends goodbye, Katara bathed and dressed in a simple blue kimono, pausing only long enough to bend the water out of her hair and brush it before heading out of her suite in search of her moody tournament partner.

He had not come to see her all day. He hadn't even _spoken_ to her after leaving her in the capable hands of the healers. She wondered idly if he had gotten his own minor injuries tended to. Moreover, she wondered if he hadn't visited because he was angry at her for making him drop her hand.

She paused as she reached the door of his rooms, nervously running a hand through her loose hair before knocking gently on the door. She heard a muffled curse and the sound of his footsteps, and then the door was wrenched open to reveal a very tousled, _very_ sexy Zuko. His hair was mused and his shirt was thrown open, revealing his chiseled muscle beneath.

His eyes widened when he realized who his late visitor was. "Katara," he said, surprised. "Are you alright? What are you doing here?"

She smiled slightly at his concern, swallowing somewhat nervously as she tried to pry her eyes away from his torso. "I-I'm fine," she said, wrenching her gaze up to his. "I was actually wondering how _you_ were." He shifted his weight to one side, leaning a forearm on the doorframe.

"A few bruises," he said casually, but now that his shirt had shifted, Katara was able to see a nasty looking black and blue mark covering his ribs and the shadows of a few more. She realized that he must have gotten the majority of them when he had thrown himself down in order to grab her hand.

"You should let me heal those," she said, gesturing to the bruises. "Why didn't you get yourself checked out by the medics?"

"It was nothing I couldn't handle," he replied, matter-of-factly. His eyes narrowed as he belatedly realized that she was by herself. "You came here all alone? Where's Suki?"

"She's out in the city with Sokka," Katara said, beginning to bristle. "Honestly, Zuko, I can walk down a _corridor_ without getting killed."

"Well, you obviously can't fight in the tournament without getting hurt," he bit out, his tone unnecessarily harsh.

While she was surprised, she reminded herself that he might be furious about her stunt. "Are you angry with me?" she asked uncertainly, her gaze shifting uneasily down to the floor.

Zuko sighed, sagging against the doorframe. "No, why would I be angry with you? I'm just angry at myself, that's all."

She glanced up at him sharply, relieved, but now confused. "Why?"

"Because," he said heatedly, "When you got that note, I should have pulled us out of the competition. I should have _known_ something like this was going to happen. I put you in danger needlessly."

Katara's eyebrows shot up. "You do **not** get to decide what I will and will not do," she said, anger suddenly spluttering to life because of his over protectiveness. She was _fine_ wasn't she? "Besides, what do you mean something like this was _bound_ to happen?"

Zuko pushed himself into a standing position and folded his arms. "Do you honestly think that that hole today was just an accident? Our construction crew has been working on that arena for weeks. If that gap were natural, the earth would have caved in when we laid the foundation for the stands. But a perfectly round hole in the middle of the arena, covered with just the proper amount of earth? That would have taken an earthbending master to pull off, seeing as the crime could only have been committed over the past couple of nights when the finishing touches on the arena were being completed and the security detail was relatively low."

Katara's eyes widened. She hadn't thought of it that way. . . "This was no accident, Katara. I was investigating it all day and I have no leads." He fixed her with a smoldering stare. "Someone wants to kill you, Katara, and I _refuse_ to let them."

Normally, Katara would have rolled her eyes and started looking for the nearest water source at his last comment, but something had been bothering her all day.

"Zuko," she began hesitantly. "What if it's not _my_ life their after? What if it's yours?" When she saw him open his mouth to speak she spoke faster. "Think about it. The earthbender in the courtyard with the rock might have looked like he was aiming for me, when he was actually intending to hit you. The pit in the middle of the arena could have taken anyone who was standing on it down when it gave way. It just happened that you were barely outside of its radius instead of the both of us falling." She held up a hand to stop him from protesting. "I know the death threat was in my room. But I didn't actually find it there. It was in my garden, and some leaves from that Acadia tree in _your_ garden were stuck to it. It might actually have been meant for you."

Zuko's frown deepened. "Is there a good reason that you didn't mention this two days ago?" he asked, his voice dropping dangerously into menacing tones.

"I never really got a chance to tell you. And," she trailed off uncertainly. "I thought that I could protect you," she finished softly, not daring to look at him. Zuko's face morphed into an unreadable expression. "We can't be sure who they really want right now, and until we find out who _they_ are, there's nothing much we can do." She met his gaze, determinedly. "I know you don't like this at all, Zuko, but you aren't alone in this one. I'm with you."

"Say, 'Goodnight, Lord Zuko,'" he commanded, his voice sounding strangely deeper than usual.

Katara's eyes narrowed. _Fine_, she thought_, if he doesn't want me here then I _will_ go. _"Goodnight, Zuko," she said crossly. She turned on her heel to stalk crossly back to her room, but Zuko's hand snaked out to catch her. He pulled her deftly into the room, and slammed the door.

"Zuko," she hissed, desperately confused on top of being angry now. "What are you _doing_?"

"_This,_" he replied, and he gripped her waist in his hands and used one knee to nudge her up against the door. He brought a hand up to cup her neck and heir eyes met; sapphire raging against gold. Zuko pressed her further against the door, bringing their bodies into even closer contact, before brushing his lips gently against hers.

The kiss was soft and almost agonizingly slow. Katara's world spun and her knees went slightly weak. Zuko merely brought her even closer and her arm wound around his neck. She whimpered slightly when he nibbled gently on her bottom lip. He deepened the kiss, his hand tangling in her loose hair. Katara's free hand came to rest on his exposed chest, eliciting a small growl from the back of Zuko's throat. He moved his head slightly, changing the angle of the kiss and her hand moved down his side, gripping it. He drew back with a painful groan.

"Watch where you're putting your hands, woman!" he murmured, panting. Katara leaned her head back against the doorway, breathless and trembling.

"You really ought to let me heal that for you," she said as her fingers traced lightly over the swollen skin by his ribcage.

"Later," was all he said, before his lips descended on hers once more.

- - -

Much, _much_ later, when Zuko finally surrendered and decided to let Katara heal his bruised abdomen, the two found themselves sitting on the chaise lounge in the living room of Zuko's suite. Zuko was lying down; Katara perched next to him with a bowl of water in her lap. As she rested her glowing hand on the largest of the scrapes she was struck by an unpleasant thought.

"Zuko," she said softly, glancing up at him. She flushed when she realized he was watching her every movement.

"You're not going to tell me this was a bad idea are you?" he said, a frown creasing his brow. "Katara, I thought we went over this already."

She had actually been going to ask something along those lines but remained silent at his reprimand.

"That's better," Zuko said, settling back into the cushion as she healed another bruise. He reached up a hand to intertwine their fingers as she set the nearly empty bowl down.

"Zuko," she said, turning his palm over in her hands. "Your hands are all cut up. Do you want me to go get some more water? They must hurt."

"Yes, they hurt tremendously," he said when her eyes met his. "But I don't really mind so much right now," he whispered as he drew her down for another kiss. When she pulled back to heal his hands, she couldn't help but notice his radiant smile, one she knew she had only seen a few times before.

- - -

The next morning, Katara and Suki, both of whom had gone to bed rather late the night before, were awakened by a piercing knock on the door. Katara rolled out of bed groggily, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. From her mattress in front of the fireplace, Suki growled and pulled her pillow over her head.

"Whoever that is better have a good reason for coming here this early or else I'll skin them with my fans," she threatened, her voice muffled by the pillow. Katara opened the door to find a beaming Aang and Sokka on the other side.

"Yo, little sis." Sokka greeted her cheerfully. "His Imperial Majesty, the Royal Pain in the Ass, commanded us to come and prod your lazy butts out of bed. We're going on a road trip."

"Road trip?" Katara asked, her curiosity piqued, and she glanced at Aang for a proper explanation.

"Yeah," the Avatar said, grinning. "We're taking Appa over to the island that's being disputed in the trade negotiations. Zuko's decided to make a statement by taking care of the illegally-docked ships himself."

"So pack a change of clothes, grab some breakfast from the kitchens, and let's get going. We've had Appa ready for a full hour now," Sokka said jovially. "Come on, Aang, we'd better stop by Toph's room and make sure she's packed."

He lowered his voice to a whisper as if he expected an irate earthbender to come flying down the corridor. "She might need some extra prodding, she's really reluctant to go, and you know how she hates flying. She almost refused to come until Zuko told her that the island was home to the third largest Zen rock garden in the world."

"What's so special about a Zen rock garden?" Suki inquired as she came to the door, her hair ruffled from sleep.

"Toph can see really clearly in rock gardens, because of all of the vibrations in the stone. She can almost make out people's features sometimes depending on the layout," Aang explained to Suki as Sokka was far too busy staring at the make-up-less, tousled Captain.

Katara wished _she_ could look that pretty for just having rolled out of bed.

"Oh," Suki said. "I hadn't thought about that. Well, you boys hurry along and find Toph. We'll be down in fifteen minutes or so." The two young men bid them farewell and Katara and Suki shut the door and began changing.

"You know, there's something that's been bothering me," Suki said as she pulled a lightweight green tunic over her head.

"What's that?" Katara called from the other room where she was donning her usual traveling garb of tunic and loose pants.

"Well Sokka was telling me about that island last night while we were walking in the village. It struck me that Zuko isn't the type to keep an island closed that would both increase trade _and_ foster friendly foreign relations just because it has the Fire Lord's summer retreat on it. He's not that selfish."

Katara emerged from the other room and walked over to the vanity, where she proceeded to brush and braid her hair.

"I never thought about it much after the argument, I got distracted."

Suki giggled and raised an eyebrow. "I bet you did."

Katara turned around, hands on her hips. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?" she demanded indignantly.

"_Nothing_," Suki said airily as she pulled her hair up into a ponytail. "It's just obvious that you've both got it bad." Katara groaned as she slung her water flask over her shoulder.

"Don't worry," Suki assured. "Sokka's completely oblivious."

"At least I can be thankful for that," Katara muttered. "Anyway, what were you were saying?"

"I was saying that it's odd for Zuko to keep that island closed unless he has a good reason for it," she looked at Katara who was staring back at her with wide eyes.

"Now that you mention it, he never did give me a reason for why he wouldn't open that island. It's almost like…like he's hiding something," Katara said, slowly.

"Something big," Suki agreed, her warm brown eyes meeting her friend's.

"And we're going to find out what!" they finished in unison as they shouldered their packs, heading toward the door and the awaiting mystery that lay beyond.

* * *

A/N: The faster you review, the faster we update! 


	6. The Trials of Travel

**A/N: XD We are such horrid updaters! The only reason Conterra finished this was because of Cryssi's birthday!!! Hopefully we can update sooner from now on. . . -Conterra ducks massive green lightning bolt from Cryssi and sends it back in an air vortex-**

**Conterra and Cryssi both nearly died as they watched "The Eclipse" or whatever it was called. . .seriously, it was so long ago. . .why is Nick doing this to us?! Are they TRYING to alienate their almost-largest fanbase?!?!?!?!**

**Things would be going quite smoothly for the gAang if they would continue the damn episodes!!!! (P.S. Where the hell is Iroh?!)**

**Disclaimer: If we owned Avatar, you totally know what would be on Nick right now. **

**Chapter 6:**

**The Trials of Travel Back In and Out of the Saddle**

_Have I mentioned that being on a secluded island with someone that you probably have feelings for could be potentially problematic?_

_Because it's true. _

_Problematic? More like _ideal.

_When did I lose control of the situation? I was going to seduce her; we would enjoy our time together and eventually part ways…_

_Don't deny the fact that you enjoyed it last night. _

_I _won't_ respond to that._

_Just because you won't respond doesn't mean that it's not true. Face it; you're already planning how you're going to kiss her again._

_I'm not going for pleasure; I have business to attend to. _

_Business that can be taken care of easily. Once you kick them off the island you can spend all your time, free of worries, making out with Katara on a beach. _

_Well, not exactly worry free. There's always her brother and… the _other_ thing…I can't let them suspect anything._

_As far as they know, there's nothing to suspect. They won't be looking for anything, they don't have a reason. _

_That's right; they don't have a reason to suspect anything…Why am I arguing with myself again?_

_Because arguing is what you do best. Well, maybe you should ask Katara, she might have a different opinion. . .on both accounts. . ._

"Zuko?"

Zuko nearly cringed when he heard her voice. It made him want to jump up and beg for her to accept him, for her to never leave him again, for her to never scare him like she had, for her to kiss him until he thought he might die from ecstasy. Her voice was becoming maddening; it haunted his dreams, calling out his name from the throes of passion and the height of terror. He never knew if he was going to have unbelievably pleasant dreams about her or horrifying dreams that involved kidnappings, rapes, her broken body, yawning chasms, or innumerable other occurrences he could not save her from.

And there had been a time when he had thought the Fire Lord all-powerful.

He had to find out who was threatening her. And he had to know if she would take him, so that he might have a claim on her forever.

But, honestly, what the hell did that _mean_?

After the two instances the day before, one that had thrown him into the most panicked state of his life and causing a void to open in his heart, and the other that had firmly closed the chasm and rekindled his hope, he knew that his plans had changed. He had already known that they had changed, but, by Agni, now he _really_ knew what he felt.

He would have Katara. No one else could be with her, and he would never let her be taken from him.

Ever.

Pulling his thoughts back to where they belonged, he shot a glare at the grinning waterbender. "What?" he snapped.

"Would you pass me that coat?" she asked sweetly. He could swear that she knew of his dilemma. He could swear that she was enjoying this torture.

He balled up her coat and tossed it to her. She caught it deftly, shot him a winning smile that made his heart clench in a mixture of fury and desire, and then turned back to her conversation with Suki.

Things were rapidly becoming unbearable on the flying bison. Or at least for Zuko, because he couldn't escape the waterbender's alluring presence or act upon it because of the watchful eyes of her brother. Damn, sometimes he wanted to just roast Sokka for his stupid overprotective and mistrustful tendencies.

He wasn't a psychopath, and he didn't deserve any of Sokka's accusations. Well, not really.

And Sokka was kind of his friend, probably because they were trying to overcome racial biases together and they were somewhat similar in many respects. Zuko wanted to shudder at the thought, especially when he thought about Sokka's down right annoying nature ever since they had begun traveling together, but resigned himself to attempting to be nicer to the man seeing as the truth about him and Katara was bound to come out sometime.

Especially if his plans progressed as far as he hoped they would.

Knowing he would have practically nothing to do until they stopped for the night, he sprawled out and tried to catch up on his sleep.

- - -

"Twinkle Toes?"

Aang stirred from his meditative lotus position above the saddle. "Hey, Toph." He readjusted his grip on the reigns so that he could hold them in one hand and shifted so that he could look down at Toph. "What's up?'

"You think this is an outright breach of the peace contracts?"

"Not exactly," Aang frowned. "There's a few clauses about border islands and nation waters, but they are very vague about private islands. Technically, this island is Zuko's and his alone. Private islands don't have the same restrictions as nation ones and other nations are allowed to negotiate directly with the owner of the island."

"But aren't Zuko's possessions considered Fire Nation property?"

Aang shrugged noncommittally. "There are two schools of thought on that."

Toph glared in his general direction and grumbled, "What-_ever_, give me a clear cut fight any day! All this fancy tip-toeing political _dancing_ stuff gives me a headache."

"You're an ambassador," Aang reminded her.

"I know the majority of the rules," Toph scowled. "That doesn't mean I like them. Or attempt to memorize them. That's your job."

"I didn't—! Alright, I did 'memorize' them. . ."

Toph laughed, but it was half-hearted. "I'm surprised it all fit in that moon peach you call your brain, Twinkle Toes."

Momo screeched and flew up to curl around Aang's neck. "I think it's more like a coconut," he mused, laughing softly.

Momo placed his hands over his eyes and screeched again. "Momo! I can't see!" Aang yelled playfully.

He readied himself for Toph's snappy "blind" comeback, but she was silent. He gently removed Momo from his face and looked down at Toph.

He secured the reigns and slid down next to her after seeing her worried, far off expression. "Toph?" he asked gently. She continued to dismally stare unseeingly into the sky, clearly upset. "Alright, Toph, what's wrong?"

He placed a firm hand on her back and she jumped. Although she did not appear to have heard his question, she continued anyway. "Aang," she murmured slowly, making him raise an eyebrow, "do you think that my parents could have had some part in this?"

Aang blinked, taken aback. The thought had barely crossed his mind. Sure, he'd considered the Bei Fongs, but along with all the other merchant clans in the Earth Kingdom. He had spent many hours researching this particular conflict, mainly because it was causing so many problems between the three nations. The Bei Fongs didn't have a particularly good reason to be behind this, as far as he could see. The Xlin house need a new trading route for their spices, the Qin Lins needed a closer port for restocking on water for their exotic plant market, the Chang house wanted to circumvent the Bay of Kyoshi taxes, and the list went on.

Aang frowned slightly. As always, when faced with this question, he felt as though he was missing something rather important, something that someone had said, someone connected to one of the houses, he was sure. . .

But he still couldn't pinpoint it, and half the houses still had perfectly logical reasons to be involved, so he was sufficiently confused.

If it happened to be the Earth King, or even the Dai Lee, however, then that would be a completely different story.

Aang, while the Avatar, was not usually gifted with foresight, and this wasn't one of his lucky times. Going with his gut feeling, he said, "Toph, I don't think your parents would jeopardize something that you have worked so hard for. I know they seem stuffy, but they love you. Parents don't deliberately hurt their kids."

"You've never—" she stopped herself, but Aang heard the rest anyway. _You've never had parents_. Instead, she said, "Yeah, well, parents don't usually lock their kids up, either."

Aang shifted slightly so that their shoulders were brushing. A finger traced the Fire Nation pin at the end of her braid and he realized how much this young woman had fought through and sacrificed to achieve some semblance of normalcy in her life. His heart clenched as he thought of her spirit being crushed by something she could not fight nor ignore: family ties.

One of his "they had good intentions" speeches was not important here. Aang suddenly didn't care about what they had intended, only what they had done. No one was going to hurt Toph like that again. His arm suddenly tightened around her securely, and she stirred. "Well, that's why you left, Toph. They're still your parents, but you've got a new family now. You're got me." He paused, then added hastily, "And Katara, and Zuko, and Sokka, and—"

"Yes," she murmured, her voice and her surprisingly soft hand wrapping around one of his effectively cutting him off. She leaned into him and his body willingly obliged automatically; his mind was frozen and his heart beat uncomfortably in his suddenly dry throat. He leaned back slightly so that Toph could nestle her head under his. As she curled against him, he realized that while this startling act of affection was unexpected, he really liked it. In fact, even more complex feelings that he had valiantly been trying to hide suddenly erupted into full realization. He had been hiding his feelings in consideration for Toph and what he had thought she had wanted.

But this. . .this could change everything. Had she felt the physical attraction that sparked between them? Did she know that she was so beautiful that he had to catch his breath if he looked at her too fast? She could feel his heart pounding, but did she know why? Did she know that at this moment he wanted nothing more than to gather her completely into his arms and kiss her senseless?

And if she knew, did she care? Did she want him too?

"Yes," she repeated, and his heart skipped a beat, "I have you."

- - -

"Fine!" huffed Sokka after he had lost his third straight game of mancala. "I see how it is! I'm going to go steer Appa!"

Suki and Katara grinned at each other appreciatively as he stalked off past the silently entwined Toph and Aang and the sleeping Zuko with a map in his hand and probably no idea which way he was supposed to be steering Appa.

"So. . ." Katara asked slyly.

Suki blushed and shifted uncomfortably, "Uh. . ."

"Has he said anything to you yet?" Katara whispered, leaning in close and casting an appraising eye over her brother now slouched on top of Appa's head.

"About what exactly?" Suki said nonchalantly, her fingers twisting slightly in her lap.

"Oh, come on," Katara said rolling her eyes and nudging her friend's shoulder. "You know exactly what I'm talking about."

Suki glanced sideways at Katara's expectant face and caved. "Alright. He said he missed me…"

"And?" Katara prompted shooting another furtive glance at her still completely clueless brother.

"He's been really polite and funny and, well, Sokka," Suki finished hastily.

"AND?"

"He sorta told me that…he still loves me," she admitted, squirming under Katara's shocked stare.

"I knew it!" she crowed, punching the air slightly with one hand.

"Shut up," Suki hissed, clamping her own hand over Katara's triumphant fist. "Don't start planning the wedding or anything. Speaking of weddings," she said with a sly smile as Zuko shifted in his sleep.

"Oh, no," Katara said, shaking her head quickly. "Absolutely not. I don't think so."

"Well, _I do_," Suki smirked, placing emphasis on the words. "Hey, turnabout's fair play Katara!"

Katara glanced swiftly at Zuko and back to Suki's elated expression. "I'm…attracted to him," Katara confessed softly. "But it can't go much farther than that."

"Why not?" Suki blinked, confused. "I'm mean, he's Fire Lord. Can't he do whatever he wants?"

"I don't know if it's that simple," Katara sighed. "I…that's just it. He's the Fire Lord, I don't think his nation would take too kindly to their monarch courting a waterbender."

"But you're not just any waterbender," Suki objected. "You're Master Katara, the only female Master waterbender in the gods know how long. You helped overthrow Ozai and then healed countless soldiers afterwards. I don't think they've forgotten that so quickly." She threw her arm around Katara's neck, tugging her unwillingly closer so their heads touched. "Face it, you're a national hero!"

Katara laughed wistfully. "Even so, I highly doubt a mere peasant has ever married into royalty in the past."

"How can you keep demeaning yourself like that?" Suki scolded. "You're no more of a mere peasant than I'm the Unagi's uncle." Katara rolled her eyes, yet smiled slightly.

"Sometimes I feel like he's shoving it in my face. In the Southern Water Tribe we never had royalty, just a chief." She threw her hands up in a hopeless gesture. "I can't even imagine what Sokka would say. And have you ever heard of a firebender and a waterbender getting married, let alone getting along? I don't even know if he loves me like I lo—" Katara broke off abruptly, biting her lip.

"Well, _I _just heard of a firebender and a waterbender getting along, you know what I mean?" Suki grinned, glossing over her friend's embarrassment. "And just think of how fantastic you'll look in Fire Nation red on your wedding day!"

Katara smacked her forehead, her eyes landing on the object of their conversation. "I haven't worn red since the war. I wonder if he even remembers."

A pair of golden orbs hastily flickered shut.

_Oh, I remember._

- - -

"Ah, terra firma!" Toph cried as she slid down Appa's tail, landing with a satisfying thud on the ground.

"If you keep going on like that, Appa's going to think you're insulting him," Aang remarked amusedly as he airbended himself gently to the ground.

"Nothing against you, boy," Toph said, patting Appa's side affectionately. "However I prefer a—"

"Nice healthy coating of earth on your feet," the others chimed wearily.

"Yes, Rock-head, we know," Zuko grunted as he dropped a bag over the side of the saddle, causing Toph to jump at its impact. "Why don't you go do something useful instead of standing around repeating the same sayings over and over again?" he added dryly.

"Fine," she huffed as another bag landed next to her. "I'll carry your junk over to the tents that _I'll make_ since you're probably too much of a pansy to carry your own things. Fire Lord my ass," she exclaimed, hefting a bag experimentally and then stopping the ground forcefully.

"Toph!" Katara reprimanded the earthbender sharply. "I thought we decided that hostility is not the best way to go about getting what you want."

"More like _you_ decided," Toph replied as she stomped by the waterbender, the bags jumping in her wake. "Just because it doesn't work for you, doesn't mean it can't work just fine for the rest of us. Come on Twinkle Toes, let's see if you can still pitch a tent. Or did the Fire Nation make you _soft_?"

Katara rolled her eyes as Aang's angry retort and Toph laughter disappeared as they raced to find a clearing. She lifted her arms up to catch the bundle that Zuko was currently dangling over the side of the saddle, realizing that she had forgotten how much she had missed traveling with her small, now slightly larger, family. Thanks to Sokka's misdirection, the trip had proved longer than originally anticipated, forcing the small band to set up camp on a completely different island for the night. Sokka and Suki had wandered off in search of firewood shortly after landing, leaving her and Zuko to finish unloading their supplies.

She bent down to peer into the bags of food, trying to plan out their meal for the night. Straightening up, she nodded in approval. She decided that she would make stew, an old favorite of theirs when they had been on the road that seemed like ages ago. _It'll be just like the old days_, Katara thought with a slight smile.

_Or maybe not,_ she amended, starting slightly when she felt the tantalizing touch of warm hands ghosting down her sides. Zuko chuckled lowly.

"Jumpy, aren't we?" he asked, drawing her closer against him.

"You could have been one of those rapists you're always going on about," Katara replied, disgruntled at the almost instantaneous effect his touch had on her.

"Don't joke about that, the situation is serious," Zuko frowned as she stepped forward, removing his hands from her waist as she went. He reached out and grabbed her wrist, spinning her around to face him. "What's wrong?" he asked, surveying her reaction with troubled eyes. His grip on her wrists softened and Zuko brought them up to his lips, placing lingering kisses on her palms. Katara smiled softly at the action.

"You don't regret kissing me last night, do you?" he said, his gaze on their hands. Zuko remembered her conversation with Suki on the saddle when he was supposedly sleeping. If she doubted his feelings for her, was she in turn doubting everything that had ever passed between them?

"No," she returned, her eyes widening. "It's just that we can't do this here. Someone else could come wandering in at any moment."

"Are you ashamed?" Zuko demanded roughly, his hands releasing hers.

"Of course not," she returned heatedly, placing her hands on his arms. "I just thought that we would to see where this goes before we make any shocking announcements to the others. Especially Sokka."

Zuko wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against him. He heard her breath hitch at the contact, almost in time with his own. He cupped her neck with one hand, tilting her chin up with his thumb. "I think we both know where this is going, Katara," he whispered, his lips brushing against hers with every word. He tightened his hold around her waist, closing the gap between them. It was flying without Appa, intoxication without alcohol, thoughtless bliss that left only enough room in the brain for the word _more. _

"Zuko," Katara whimpered. She wasn't sure whether she was asking him to stop for fear of discovery or begging him to continue. His lips trailed over her jaw, his hand trailing up her side. She shuddered against him, her nails digging into his back, eliciting a low growl from the back of his throat.

"Katara?" Sokka's voice broke through the roaring of blood in her ears. Katara wrenched herself out of Zuko's embrace. Zuko swore as Sokka sauntered into view.

"What are you doing?" Sokka asked, catching sight of the flushed pair.

"Unloading the saddle," Zuko supplied swiftly, reaching down to lift one of the heavy bags in front of him before Sokka noticed the rather obvious proof that they had been doing no such thing.

"Care to help?" Katara said, thankful her voice came out even as she picked up a sack herself.

"Hey Sokka," Suki said as she came out of the clearing behind him. "I though we were going to go get some meat to go with dinner? What, too scared of my fans?"

"You're on!" Sokka said, unsheathing his boomerang as Suki drew out her fans, winking at Katara as she kicked Sokka gently in the butt before streaking off into the forest. Sokka gave a shout of indignation before running after her.

Katara shook her head disparagingly at the pair's antics, hefting the bag higher in her arms and began to walk in the direction Toph and Aang had headed in to set up the tents. She turned back when she realized that Zuko wasn't following. "Aren't you coming?" she asked.

"I'll be there in a minute," Zuko replied gruffly, his eyes on the ground. Katara blushed but couldn't prevent herself from giggling at his predicament. His eyes narrowed. "Go ahead and laugh. I'll repay you for this one day."

_One day soon._

The words glittered in the air between them, sparks of the fire, brighter than any Zuko had ever known, which burned between them. There was no doubt in Katara's mind that it was promise.

And Zuko always kept his word.

- - -

_Damn honor and Katara's non-violence nonsense to hell,_ Zuko thought savagely as he surveyed his island at about midday. _And damn Sokka and his ridiculous overprotective tendencies._

The night before had been restless, and he had finally fallen asleep dreaming about the _untouchable_ woman resting _mere feet_ away.

So nothing had gone to improve the original mood he had been in when he had discovered that Earth Kingdom merchants had the _audacity_ to actually _dock_ on _his_ island.

Oh, Fire Lord Zuko wasn't in a good mood. And this was not lost upon his companions.

"Firefly?" Toph murmured from next to him. He jumped slightly, and then coughed embarrassed at her presence—he didn't know she was awake, let alone coming up behind him—and continued to glower at the island below them. "Listen, I know you're upset, but—"

"Did you just call me _upset_, Toph?" he growled. "You last night was 'upset.' Me right now is definitely a few degrees above that,"

"Ok, I'll give you credit for thoroughly annoyed, "Toph conceded, a grin pulling at her lips. "But, what I was going to say was—"

"Annoyed?! ANNOYED?!" he roared, suddenly punching the air to let off a bout of fire. "I am _not_ **annoyed**."

"Ok, ok, whatever. I wanted to tell you—"

"Look at them!" he bellowed, waving a burning arm at the ships below. "Who do they think they are?! They have no right to be here!" A rather dangerous glob of fire suddenly broke off and streaked downwards.

"—to keep your cool." Toph finished finally as she watched the burning missile hiss into the sea dangerously close to the coast line. A group of people aboard one of the ships began to shout and wave their arms frantically in the air, arousing the attention of more and more sailors down the coastline. "Way to be, Hothead."

"I don't care!" he mumbled, watching the Earth Kingdom people scurry below them and barely hearing Aang shout that they should probably find a place to land, suddenly less angry and a lot more confused. "Why do people always do stupid stuff like this to me?"

"Gods, cut it out!" Toph snapped, hitting him. "Go towards that damn palace complex, Twinkle Toes!" she yelled to Aang, before turning back to the steaming Fire Lord. "Stop being so bipolar. I thought you'd outgrown that."

"Mmmmmhmmph," Zuko muttered, calculating the distance between the palace and the wharves where the flagship was docked. "What do you think I should do then?"

"Stay calm," Katara snapped, coming over to pull him up from his slightly slouched leaning position. "You're not a child, Zuko, you're a leader who understands the nuances of peace. Show them that. For heaven sake." And then she was gone, flitting around the small carrier, packing the last bits and pieces so that they could get off Appa immediately.

"Why does _she_ always do that?" he gasped, somewhat shocked by her random appearance and surprisingly valuable words.

Toph was laughing, but attempting to cover it up with her hands. "Oh, Firefly. You have it _bad_."

Appa landed and she ran to jump off before he could reply with a suitable retort, so he growled and spun himself to the ground much like Aang usually did. He wasn't as averse to cheating off other element bender's moves anymore.

But he was averse to other nations cheating off his property.

He looked around, and a chill crept up his spine, reminding him when he rarely came here, and sighed. At least he wouldn't have to deal with _that_ issue today.

They were in a courtyard, one of the central ones near the large stables that could probably house Appa with some minor adjustments. It was wide and spacious, sunk into the ground and rising in tiers filled by plant life all around them until it reached the main level of the fortress.

Katara, predictably, began examining the various fountains and topiary decorations immediately. "Oh, it's just beautiful!" she gushed like her element. "Zuko I had no idea this was here!"

"And for a good reason," Zuko muttered, looking around for the head of his household as his friends laughed and explored the wondrous interior of this layered creation. A slightly overweight older man suddenly ran, puffing, out of the entrances, followed closely by several servants he had hand-picked to be stationed in this palace.

"Akira," Zuko acknowledged as the man bowed before him. "It is good to see you again, my friend."

The man straightened, a smile creasing his haggard and clearly worried face. "As it is to see you Fire Lord," he said in a softly modulated voice. "Unfortunately, there is really no time for pleasantries, I am sorry, my Lord. There is someone here to see you."

"They must have seen the beacon that the good Fire Lord launched," Sokka snorted as they slowly gathered behind Zuko. "It was pre-tty impressive, right?"

"Shut up, Sokka," Zuko growled, painfully aware that he had misdirected his anger and had let it rule him.

"Who knows? Maybe this could actually begin a peaceful-ish sort of meeting, Zuko," Sokka grinned. "As long as you keep a cap on that temper of yours, of course."

"I said shut _up,_ Sokka! Thank you Akira, for warning me. Do you know the man?"

Akira shook his head dejectedly, looking very apprehensive. "I am sorry, my Lord. He. . .uh, he's a messenger actually."

"A what," Zuko said in a flat tone that was more of an incredulously statement than question.

Akira sighed and his hands chaffed each other in worry. "A messenger my Lord, the captain of the fleet requests a meeting, on his flagship—"

"He **requested** a meeting with ME?!" Zuko roared, keeping his fists tightly clenched at his sides. Sokka sighed audibly and rolled his eyes, but this went unnoticed. "Of all the asinine, arrogant—what a son of a bitch! Demanding _me_—"

He began to pace up and down, emitting random bursts of flame and muttering curses. Toph and Katara looked apologetically at Akira, who was running a shaking hand over his tired face. "Why don't you tell us the situation, Akira," Toph said calmly. "I'm sure the Royal Firefly can hear us anyway. How long ago did the ships arrive?"

"About two weeks," Akira told her, absently calling for a servant to start taking the travelers' packs to prepared rooms. "I basically ignored them the first few days, hoping they would move on. When they didn't, I sent a few servants to speak with the captains, and we had some sort of meeting."

"What have they been doing?"

As Akira launched into a detailed description of the activities of the ships, Zuko stopped before Aang. "Tell me," he ground out. "What would you do?"

Aang only looked slightly startled, but not much. Zuko occasionally asked him for help directly, but only when he knew Aang would have the right answer. "You have to go see this person, Zuko," he said quietly, half listening to Akira's report.

Zuko huffed steam. "I knew you'd say that. Akira!" His servant whipped around, breaking off what had been the ends of his report anyway. "Have you ever met this self-styled commodore bastard?"

"Yes, I've been meeting with him periodically, usually here," Akira murmured, bowing again. "Actually I don't know if it is a _he_, I've never seen his face. He always wears a hood and scarf. I thought maybe a scar—"

"Then he is a coward," Zuko dismissed the almost painful moment without hesitation. "Has he been here often?"

"Yes, many times. I have been negotiating with him in your place, and I am sorry if this bothers you, but I had to do something, Lord, especially with—"

"I understand," Zuko cut him off, ignoring the puzzled looks from his friends. "You've done well, Akira. Thank you."

"It is my duty to serve, Lord," Akira bowed yet again, but Katara noted the delighted smile playing around his lips. It seemed as though this servant knew Zuko well, and valued his praise highly.

"Zuko," Aang said suddenly, eyes distant. "I don't like it. At all."

"A general warning?" Zuko asked playfully, remembering the uncertainty Aang had suffered so long ago and how he had strived to help the boy overcome it. "Thank you, Avatar, for clarifying anything I might not have known."

Aang sent Zuko a half-amused glance. "Come off it, Zuko. I got that feeling of a trap, but this time it is different. I saw an encircling net, drawing tighter and tighter, with all of us in the middle, with a few of us slipping through, the rest dragged down—there was time, time for us to cut the net. . .that's what confuses me."

"Great," Sokka muttered. "A net. Whoo-hoo. Where's the fisherman?"

"Thank you, Sokka," Katara growled. "I think it was useful. It confirmed our fears, so at least we know we aren't shooting arrows in the dark."

"Zuko," Aang said again, quite suddenly. "I just—"

"Sir!" a servant called, skidding to a halt to gape at the visitors in the courtyard. He dropped to one knee, panting. "The Captain has sent an escort for the Fire Lord!"

"Thank you, Kai," Akira nodded, dismissing the young man with a wave. "Sire, I know you don't an escort, but as the situation demands—"

"I'm **not** walking to this pompous ass' ship," Zuko growled. "Tell the escort that I wish to fly."

"Zuko, I'm not sure how, uh, _diplomatic_—"

"Aang. I am not walking to that cretin's ship."

Toph's face split with a grin. "Hey, now, Flame-face, chill. I think we can all compromise."

Ten minutes later, Zuko, Katara, Aang, Sokka, Suki, and a contingent of non-descript guards were riding on the back of an earth-wave Toph was propelling towards the flag ship. Surprisingly enough, the five friends were not having any problems keeping their balance as Toph maliciously increased her speed, probably from all the time on both Appa and a few ships. Zuko noted with a grim smile that most of the deck hands on the anchored ships were making themselves scarce as they saw the group approaching, the Fire Lord standing imperiously in regal but functional robes in full view.

The honor guard, slightly disoriented from their ride, directed them to the largest building of a small cluster next to the docks that was apparently serving the mysterious Captain as his headquarters. Zuko stopped them in the opening courtyard before the structure and looked expectantly at the guards.

"Please wait just a moment, Majesty," the head of the squad bowed deeply. "He'll be out shortly."

"Who does he think he is?" Zuko seethed from between clenched teeth. His nerves were so tightly strung, a mere fly bite could probably set him off. But who could blame him, what with the complex hiding his—

"Zuko, seriously, please calm down," Katara hissed, laying a hand on his arm that had just begun to rise. "You're reverting back to the sixteen-year-old pony-tail wearing hot-head I once knew."

He shot her a crooked smile and opened his mouth to reply when an imperious voice rang out, "Fire Lord!" and he turned to see a cloaked figure with several men backing him standing in the archway of the squat but ornate building.

Zuko frowned. What—

"Zuko!" said Toph sharply.

The man strode towards them, halting only a few feet from where the Fire Nation's extended royal family was standing. "Well met, Majesty," he said softly.

Zuko was still puzzling through his thoughts and forcing down simmering fury when the stranger's hands came up to remove the scarf hiding the face of this alleged captain to fully reveal—

"You!"

"Eloquent as ever, Fire Lord."

**A/N: Dun dun duh!!!! (Conterra is so happy about the Tophaang right now she doesn't care about the cliffhanger!)**

**We're back!!!! And nearly out of the Hell called IB!!!! **

**Free in two months. . .can't wait. . .**

**Hope you liked the chapter, it's been in the making for absolute months. . .**

**Leave a review or Iroh will throw Zeus-like lightning bolts at you! (because everyone knows him an Zeus are like the same person now)**

**Love love love,**

**Conterra and Cryssi XD**


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